“Al -Muqasa” .. a heritage symbol that shines in national celebrations and social events

In the heart of the ancient governorate of Al -Namas, where the heritage palaces are adjacent to and the tales are scattered between the walls of clay and wood, life is renewed in a small workshop that is still beating in the spirit of the past, and maintains a craft associated with the history of man in Asir, which is the craft of the heritage weapons industry, especially the “shot” and “Abu Fateel”, which were an integral part of the life of the ancestors, whether in self -defense.
The “shot” industry begins with the preparation of the basic materials, foremost of which is the wood used in the formation of the body of the gun, the iron tube, and the piece called “page” for saving gunpowder, along with the “strike” that is used to destroy gunpowder inside the weapon.
After carefully forming the wood, the iron parts are installed, accurate tests are conducted to ensure the safety of the user and the quality of the weapon, then it is transferred to the stage of decoration and decoration, where it is worn with yellow copper or silver, and is engraved with artistic decorations that give it a special beauty, which makes it a heritage piece parallel to its value of artwork.

The development of tools and the different generations

Al -Harfi Fahd bin Ali Al -Shehri, who practices this craft in his workshop specialized in the manufacture of heritage tools, explained that it is an extension of a family heritage that his father started with his opening as a place of maintenance of “Al -Maqami” in Al -Namas in 1397 AH, with modern equipment and machines in its time, and was one of the first to enter this field to the southern region.
With the development of tools and the different generations, Fahd Al -Shehri was keen to develop new forms of “shot” characterized by light weight and small size, to suit the category of young people who began to accept their acquisition as an expression of pride in their heritage and identity.

The heritage weapon acquires an additional privacy through the adornment that is added to it, as it was used in the past threads made of animal hair such as “lint”, then the matter developed into the use of copper, silver and wood inscriptions with different designs, which explains the variation of the prices of these weapons that may reach more than 50 thousand riyals, according to the beauty of the decoration and the amount of the metal used.
The presence of the “shot” in the celebrations and weddings is not complete except by wearing “zoom”, a leather belt that is worn on the shoulder in an integrated way, inventory with metal lobes, and contains gunpowder stores that are used to ignite arms gunpowder during occasions.

Copper components

The “shot” is one of the short weapons that depend on the black gunpowder, and it consists of several basic parts, including the “cylinder” which is the gun pipe, the “scale” used to compress the gunpowder, the “rooster” that ignites the wick, and the “eye” where the gunpowder is placed, and the “trigger” that the user presses to release the spark.
The “shot” ignition was caused by beams taken from vegetable fibers such as the “wrapping” trees, and the gun was charged by inserting a quantity of gunpowder from its mouth, followed by a piece of cloth and pressed with a sharp header skewer, so that the gunpowder is ready for the explosion.

Traditional gunpowder industry

This industry is accompanied by another craft that is no less important, which is the traditional gunpowder industry, which is prepared from 3 components: salt extracted from special soil, natural sulfur, and coal caused by burning trees sticks in specific ways, and these materials are mixed in accurate proportions and dried to become ready -made gunpowder for use, whether in weapons or even in breaking rocks and drilling wells in the past.
The researcher confirms d. Saleh Abu Arad in his book “Tanumah” that this industry was mainly in the life of society, and the “shot” is still present in national events, celebrations and popular parties, and it remains a heritage symbol inherited by generations, and an authentic piece that expresses the identity of the Asir region, and granted popular occasions a special character that mixes art and strength, between the loud voice and the spirit that is proud.