Barkas Street, A Mini Arabia In Hyderabad

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It was a colony of the former employees of Nizams, the sovereigns of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. As they were surrounded by hostile rulers in the Deccan, Nizams trusted the tall and strongly built Arabs. Arabs had been mostly recruited in their personal army. Their numbers grew and the Arabs were settled in barracks on the outskirts of the walled, gated city.

The name 'Barkas' is derived from the word 'Wadiya Barkas', which is a colony in Saudi Arabia. A regiment from Barkas in Arabia had been called to Hyderabad. So most of the residents of this colony are the original inhabitants of Yemen and Arabia. A male member from each family is currently working in the Gulf countries.

In this mini Arabia, where the current population is more than 1.5 lakh, the guests are welcomed with dates and qahwah (Arabian coffee). The roofs of the houses are decorated with the beautifully calligraphed verses, or Quranic Ayaats as they call.

One can savour Iranian dishes like Haleem (meat cooked with crushed wheat and spices) and Biryani (rice cooked with chicken) in any places in Hyderabad. But the sweet version of Haleem, known by the name Harees, is only available at Barkas.

At dawn, people from far-flung corners of the city and beyond flock to Barkas, to enjoy the piping hot delicacies at select restaurants.

Egyptian singer Amar Deyab and Lebanese lyricist Nancy Agram are quite popular among the residents.

Even in death, the exclusivity continues. The non-resident Muslims in Barkas are not allowed to find a resting place here.

"With God's grace, since the colony came into existence and till it exists, we will follow Arab culture," says Ali Bin Abdul Rehman, a resident of the colony.

In Arab countries, the youth of Hyderabad Barkas are obsessed with soccer. Hence the colony's link with the Arab world is not merely with the language and culture but through sports as well.