Introduction to Tents

Al Beit Issha'ar: The House of Hair
The traditional nomadic tents of Arabian and Asian nomads are made of goat hair or dark sheepswool. However, white canvas tents are becoming more and more common.
In the western part of Saudi Arabia, one sees few handwoven goats hair tents; it is more common to see white canvas tents. Often the canvas tents are used as annexes to traditional wool tents, to add living spaces. They are imported.

Sizes
Sizes of tents vary from one room to five. The average beit issha'ar, "house of hair," is made up of three rooms, which are marked by a row of poles. Widths of tents vary also, and a tent is referred to by the width as evidenced by the number of poles across it. Sometimes tents are mere shelters, specially during migrations. If the group wants to move on quickly, or if the herders want short-term shelter, a smaller piece is easier to put up than a whole tent.

Styles
Tents are adapted to the climates in which they are used. In the warmer parts of southern Arabia, the fronts of tents are open. They can be closed with extensions of dividing curtains or other spare pieces of tent fabric if the weather is cold, windy or rainy, or if there is a sandstorm.
Tent design varies by tribe and by region. In northern Arabia, tents of the Shammar tribe are closed on all sides during cold weather, with openings at the corners. At the end of the tent used for entertaining, a sort of alcove is created. The exterior is tensioned with ropes and pulleys that are more elaborate than the usual tensioning ropes used to anchor a tent.