thinking about narbarad and shams (as any normal person would) and i wanted to know what narbarad is famous for! are there any particular items or exports that travelers coming to narbarad would make sure to pick up? and what are shams' favorite things that come from narbarad itself - like a fruit only found there, perhaps? just curious ❤️ hope you're having a nice day inaya!
HIIIIII :D thank you for this ask <3 it means soooo much to me omg! i put them in little categories in the bullet points so!!!
firstly we have architecture: narbarad is one of the two nations in shams' world (not just craidesoa, but the world in general) that has a huge number of cultures. there are multiple districts where you can walk into a different set of cultures that you won't find in another, but one of the most distinct things travelers look into is the architecture of each district. because narabarad is mostly known for it's main district and the capital, however, many people tend to go there first. one of the main locations they often go to is the old capital before shams' father became king. there you can find monumental staircases, columns and reliefs that tell the stories of old heroes. it's one of the most famous attractions.
there are also the gardens, which are designed to represent the heavens. each garden in each district is different depending on the main religions and what they practice, but the way they style the gardens is often a reflection of their belief system. other than that, the bridges are not only functional but very artistic and of course, windcatchers, which helped them cool their buildings due to the insanely hot weather.
next is the art: just like i said before, because of the different cultures, narbaradi art is very diverse, but some of the main ones are miniature paintings that depict scenes from literature, myths or court life, calligraphy, tilework and sculptures. the first three are the ones a lot of travelers enjoy spending money on. there is also a lot of famous literature that comes from there. from poetry to full on literary writings, there's loads that can be chosen from.
the cuisine: the dishes in narbarad are quite diverse as well, but there is a common ground where people will go 'oh yeah! i see the similarities between those two' and because of that, there are often a lot of markets and stalls that sell those dishes, so plenty of travelers spend their time there. their food is usually made up of two to three sets of dishes and usually it focuses on the meat and vegetables, with either rice or bread on the side. or both! they're also very famous for their tea and it's a running joke that they can have tea at any time of the day.
textiles and fabrics: there's a handwoven fabric that can be only found in narbarad that's made from silk and wool that features floral patterns and is mostly used for scarves, tablecloths and garments! you can also find flat - woven textiles made by specific tribes, featuring different patterns and colors depending on said tribe. those are used as rugs, blankets or wall hangings. a lot of mythology and tales are often found printed and drawn on them. the silk there is also one of a kind and next to zaetia, it's one of the best.
jewelry and metalwork: the designs for jewelry always include motifs like the sun, moon and animals, focusing on cultural and spiritual significance. turquoise is used quite often and it features filigree, engraving and enamelwork made out of gold or silver. metalwork is very famous, as well, since they specialize in engraving, utensil making and armory!
lastly, perfumes and incenses: they're very well known because of their natural ingredients and some of those are rose water, musk, amber, sandalwood, etc. they're used for ceremonies where incense is often burned, personal fragrance and aromatherapy because they tend to be very calming.
shams' favorite is the art / literature and the gardens however! she's a big fan of cooking because of the multiple ingredients in narbarad, but she always does that in her free time so it's more usual for her and because she has made it a habit to include as many people as possible in a more informal dining experience. but she does greatly enjoy literature and reading and the gardens because of how different they are in each city. she has the royal garden, obviously, but that is more for public eye than anything. she finds the others to be much prettier!
