Oud and Musk and Frankincense: Arab Perfumes of West Philadelphia

Razan Idris

The unique scents of Middle Eastern perfumes waft through the streets of West Philadelphia where perfume merchants hustle their “Arab oils” to locals. Often, South Asian and Arab immigrants sell these imported oils, ittars, and perfumes in Islamic stores across neighborhoods. But in a city where Black Muslims are major contributors to its wider culture, perfume is no exception. In the 52nd St Black-owned business corridor, Black Muslim store-owners have imported Middle Eastern oils since the ‘90s, marketing them as an extra-halal alternative to Western alcohol-based eau-de-parfums. 

As a perfume-lover who frequents these stores, I’m struck by how perfume culture in the city remains segregated by class and race. Few online guides list halal stores as places to find perfume. The strong oud, musk, and frankincense of West Philly are associated with lower class immigrants and Black Muslim folks, while the airy florals sold in Sephora across the river are associated with the wealthier patrons of expensive spas. 

But change may be on the horizon. In February, Philly-based TikTok creator AsToldByBrittni , whose content focuses on perfume and hair, told her followers, “Now let me put y’all on to my favorite vanilla caramel perfume - we on 52nd Street!” Brittni’s video shows her walking into al-Amanah Islamic Place, which she described as “where I pick up all my Middle Eastern fragrances - he always has everything you see on TikTok.”

After the TikTok went up, followers rushed to enter the store and film themselves picking up imported perfumes by Gulf-based Arab brands such as al-Rehab, who had sponsored Brittni to promote their perfume.

Of course, people’s feelings about these oils differ. As one TikTok user Emory reminisced, “One thing I hated about Philly growing up was that when you had to take the train on 52nd St . . . there used to be some akhis right there, yo they were vicious on selling their oils.” But now the akhis scents are no longer only for the inner city. Arab oils are becoming associated with lavish holiday experiences in Dubai.

Since Gulf Arab royals began patronizing Western haute couture houses and hiring French perfumers, perfumes creating traditionally Arab scents in Western eau-de-parfum formulations have become more popularly available internationally. Meanwhile, Black perfume reviewers based in the United States such as Fummi Monet and Maiya Nicole marked 2020 as the year that their content truly took off online, paving the way for Philadelphia reviewers.

“As perfume culture continues to grow in Philadelphia, it is important to remember…the working class Black Philadelphians who introduced the scents to the city.”

It’s a testament to Philadelphia’s love for Arab perfume that by 2022, Arabian Oud- a Saudi perfume franchise with only four locations in the United States - opened at King of Prussia mall. But as many young Black women are flocking to buy these scents, those in the know are pointing them back to Philadelphia’s original source . In a TikTok with over 500,000 likes, Philadelphia-based creator AsToldByyyTaj said, “Before you blind buy those Arabian perfumes on your list, go to the man selling oil!”

As perfume culture continues to grow in Philadelphia, it is important to remember its humbler roots and the working class Black Philadelphians who introduced the scents to the city. Here in this multicultural city we can move beyond the Orientalist legacies of the perfume industry to instead recall the artistry of scents around the world. Our city’s love for perfume can become an opportunity to support the original small businesses of the akhis on the street and immigrant aunties in halal stores - the people who have been bringing us our perfumes far before Tom Ford knew what oud was.

Razan Idris is a Sudanese-American PhD candidate in History at the University of Pennsylvania and the curator of the #SudanSyllabus, working on a project tentatively titled The Colors of the Earth: Blackness in 1930s Egypt