Fragrance comparison

Alhambra vs Abjar

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 12 Oct 2026 93 ratings analysed

Alhambra

Paolo Gigli

4.717 votes

Rank #42,148 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #23,952 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories.

Alhambra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Alhambra1/4

Abjar3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Alhambra
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Abjar

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

AlhambraPaolo Gigli

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.71/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 15%Had 4%Want 81%

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

71%Love

29%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate93

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value28

Category winnerAlhambraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

musky77%

patchouli69%

oud61%

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both woody and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

Amalfi LemonMintGeranium

Heart3-4 hrs

PatchouliGuaiac WoodAgarwood (Oud)Vetiver

Base8-10 hrs

MuskAmber

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

InformationalShared notesGuaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud) and Amber. Durations are only published for Alhambra, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night79

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Work 36%Casual 28%Date 23%Party 13%

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,148

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#23,952

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAbjarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Paolo Gigli Alhambra hits skin with an unexpected snap. Crisp Amalfi lemon and cooling garden mint jump forward right away. It feels brisk. Then, earthy patchouli and smoky guaiac wood anchor the profile into something dense, resinous, and deeply masculine. A faint touch of floral geranium prevents the opening from sm…

Reviews →

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Alhambra or Abjar?

Abjar takes 3 of 4 categories. Alhambra is rated 4.71/5 from 7 votes; Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes. Choose Alhambra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Alhambra or Abjar?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Alhambra 87/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Alhambra or Abjar?

Projection is very close: Abjar 84/100, Alhambra 82/100 for sillage.

Do Alhambra and Abjar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud) and Amber.

Is Alhambra or Abjar better for summer or winter?

Alhambra suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Alhambra and Abjar?

Alhambra has top notes of Amalfi Lemon, Mint and Geranium, heart notes of Patchouli, Guaiac Wood, Agarwood (Oud) and Vetiver, a base of Musk and Amber. Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud).