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Clothing in Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptian clothing relates to the clothes worn by the Egyptians in ancient Egypt from the end of the Neolithic period (before 3100 B.C) to the collapse of the Ptolemaic Kingdom by the death of Queen Cleopatra in about 30 B.C, where Egyptian clothing was filled with a variety of different colors and fabrics that are distinguished with precious stones and precious jewelry adorned with them, the ancient Egyptians’ costumes were made not only for beauty but also for comfort. Egyptian fashion is designed to keep the body cool while in the hot desert.

During the Pyramids age or the Old Kingdom since about 2130 B.C, the clothes were very simple, as the men wore wraps around the skirts known as Shendyt, which were tied at the waist, and also had other forms such as being sometimes folded or gathered in the front. During this time the men’s skirts were short. It also came in the Middle Kingdom era (1600 B.C), as he wore the skirt for a longer period. Then it came about circa 1420 B.C., there was a light jacket or long-sleeved blouse, as well as a folded women’s dress.

Children wore no clothes until 6 years old. Once they became six years old they were entitled to wear clothing to protect them from the dry weather. A common hairstyle among the children was the side-lock, an unshaved length of hair on the right side of the head. Even though children normally wore no clothing, they wore jewelry such as anklets, bracelets, collars, and hair accessories. when they grew up, they wore the same fashions as their parents.

Jewelry Regardless of the social class, if it was poor or rich, jewelry was very popular in ancient Egypt, they used to be heavy and somewhat bulky. The main reason for wearing jewelry is because of its aesthetic function, just as the ancient Egyptians wore sober clothes in white linen fabrics. The Egyptian preference was for the use of bright colors, shiny stones, and precious metals, like those masterpieces of King Tutankhamen exhibited in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo which is tailored from the Egyptian materials like gold that was mined from the eastern desert of Egypt, and also came from Nubia, which was an Egyptian colony for centuries.

The Egyptians became extremely skilled at making turquoise and metal jewelry such as gold, silver, and small beads. Where both men and women are adorned with earrings, necklaces, and necklaces that were brightly colored. And those who cannot afford to buy jewelry made of gold or other stones make jewelry out of colored pottery beads whose shapes are also great.

Black eyeliner, which was used to mark and define eyes, also appeared from Galena. Eye shadow was made of crushed malachite. The red, which was applied to the lips, which has so far been a cosmetic for women, came from Ocher. These products are mixed with animal fats to make them compact and maintain. They wore Galina or powdery malachite not only to enhance beauty but because they believed it worked to prevent dust and dirt from getting into their eyes. For this reason, both men and women used to wear it.

Footwear The shoes of that era were of a functional and class nature, as there was a difference between public shoes, soldiers’ shoes, and children’s shoes that were “mini versions of adult shoes” and the shoes of kings. Footwear was the same for both sexes. It consisted of sandals of leatherwork, or for the priestly class, papyrus. Since Egyptians were normally barefoot, sandals were worn on special occasions or at times when their feet might get hurt.

Visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to see what remains of the ancient Egyptian clothes, wigs, and sandals during a broad range of Tailor-made Egypt Classic Toursprivate Budget tours to Egypt,Egypt Travel Packages, Egypt Day Tours, Cairo day tours, and Cairo day tours from airport to explore the different styles of wigs and jewelry that vary in size and materials throughout the various stages of ancient Egypt.

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