Egypt is always known for hosting a diverse range of environments and cultures along the years which led to having unique customs and clothes for each era and each city in Egypt. Let’s get to know more about the different Egyptian customs along the years and how these customs differ from each city in Egypt.
In this blog we will tell you what Egyptians used to wear in the past years and if there is some cities in Egypt have its unique customs:
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The pharaohs used to wear light clothes made of flax as this material was more common than wool or cotton.
They used to wear skirts with different lengths for men and women. They used to wear jewelry, especially one piece of jewelry called the amulet that they used to believe it protects the owner and gives him strength.
Bedouins are people who mostly live in the desert and for the Bedouins in Sinai and Siwa Oasis they have unique customs with many jewelry. They used to wear headgear made of different beautiful colors. They also use the belts a lot this is beside using unique masks full of gold and silver.
Nuba is a whole unique country inside a county, the Nubians have a very unique culture, customs, language, and traditions. They live in the far south on the banks of the Nile river, and their culture is very similar to the Pharaonic civilization.
Nubians men usually wear trousers, turbans, vests and shirts and women but women change their customs after getting married as they start wearing rich feathers and bright colors Red but before marriage they only wear light colors.
Women in Egypt wear differently in each city but generally the Peasant women used to wear Gallabia most of the time even outdoors but the city women usually wear the gallabia inhouse only. Outside they wear wide dresses or normal blouses and trousers and most of the time they try to wear them as wide and comfortable as they can.
In an old era, women in Cairo and Alexandria used to wear a special kind of Gallabia which was called “melaya luf” which is a large rectangular wrap they use to cover themselves over the Gallabia in a special way. They also can use it to warm them or to carry things.
Another traditional custom in Egypt for women was wearing the “burqa”, this was a long rectangular face veil that usually was made of white cotton or web of thick threads that’s attached to a headscarf all over the skullcap. Women also used to cover their head with something called Mandil which is a kind of headscarf that used to be decorated with colors and flowers.
Men in Egypt have a traditional official custom which is the Gallabia, it’s a kind of very long shirt that covers their legs. Usually the farmers wear a special kind of Gallabia during their work in the field and they wrap it around their thighs while wearing Trousers under it to control the width of the Gallabia during the hard work.
There is a special kind of clothes men used to wear over the Gallabia specially in upper Egypt which is the “Kaftan”, this is a full length garment which is like a coat but with very wide and long sleeves and open from the front. Another piece of clothes that is worn over the Gallabia called “Jebba” which relates to the Turk during the Ottoman occupation. It’s a long but wide sleeved gown that covers the legs and is full of buttons halfway down.
Since the 1800s, all Egypt started wearing costumes similar to Europe but during the Ottoman era they decided to use the “Tarbush” as the official headwear to all the men, especially the ones who work for the government. The Tarbush was cylindrical in shape and red in color. Mohamed Ali Basha incorporated that the Tarbush has to be part of the military uniform but after the 1952 revolution this tradition was vanished.
All these costumes are only a small part of what Egypt really hosts from different cultures and traditions. All will be very interesting to see or even try it yourself, imagine yourself trying the Gallabia from different cities, I believe you will love it and save a great photo for memory. Make sure to live this experience yourself and discover all the different customs in the cities of Egypt since ancient Egyptians and till now.
