Al-Dukka and al-Kmar

Al-Dukka and al-Kmar are two elements of the Mashab (fireplace)or coffee room, which represent a significant part of the Najdi house in Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The construction pattern of both al-Dukka and al-Kmar is common in many provinces across the north, central, and south of the Kingdom. Al-Dukka and al-Kmar can be considered secondary elements that are associated with the construction or presence of the coffee room or Mashab.

Al-Dukka is a small room, not exceeding one m in width, used for storing firewood used to light fires. It is accessed through a small opening, usually triangular or arched, located behind the seating area of the homeowner, allowing him to retrieve firewood from al-Dukka without leaving their seat. In the ceiling of the coffee room above, there is an opening called Samawa, Kashafa, or Suwama, designed to expel the smoke resulting from burning firewood. It is equipped with a wooden cover to close it when necessary, protecting from dirt, dust, and rain.

Control over opening or closing the Samawa is done from within the coffee room, near the homeowner's reach, using a rope. However, the Samawa is not the only opening used for ventilation and smoke expulsion. Typically, there are other small openings in the upper walls of the coffee room, each equipped with doors that can be opened or closed as needed from the rooftop of the house.

Al-Kmar is a set of shelves in the form of a box attached to the wall, used to store coffee pots, pitchers, and other tools used in preparing tea and coffee. Its organization reflects the characteristic of generosity and the house's readiness to receive large numbers of guests at once. The bottom part of al-Kmar contains specific sections for both the Najr or Faqeera, which is a rock with a hole for grinding both coffee and raw cardamom using a stone hand, and a small storage area for keeping coffee, cardamom, sugar, tea, as well as incense sticks.