July 18, 2018 ~ Shabbat EKHA. Maqam HIJAZ.
Maqam Hoseni - חוסיני - was named after the Persian sheikh, Hussein Biadur, called 'Abdel Ghazi.
In Arabic, the word "Hosn" means beauty and splendor, and that it why it is the maqam used when commemorating the giving of the Torah.
This maqam is a higher version of Maqam Bayat.
On Shabuot, the holiday that commemorates the receiving of the Torah, we read Megilat Ruth. The ta'amim for this megila are in Maqam Hoseni, and so is the tune for the Azharot, chanted on Shabuot. Hoseni is used for Perashiot Yitro and Va'ethannan which both have the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) within the perasha.
This maqam is also used many times throughout the book of Exodus usually in connection with the receiving of the Torah motif and Tabernacle (mishkan) beauty motif.
