An account of the manners and customs of the modern EgyptiansLane, Edward William
History
An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians
Lane, Edward William
Egypt -- Social life and customs
The dress of the women of the middle and higher orders is handsome and
elegant. Their shirt is very full, like that of the men—but rather
shorter—reaching not quite to the knees: it is also, generally, of the
same kind of material as the men’s shirt, or of coloured crape—sometimes
black. A pair of very wide trousers (called “shintiyán”), of a coloured
striped stuff of silk and cotton, or of printed, or worked, or plain
white muslin, is tied round the hips, under the shirt, with a dikkeh:
its lower extremities are drawn up and tied just below the knee with
running strings; but it is sufficiently long to hang down to the feet,
or almost to the ground, when attached in this manner. Over the shirt
and shintiyán is worn a long vest (called “yelek”), of the same material
as the latter: it nearly resembles the kuftán of the men; but is more
tight to the body and arms: the sleeves also are longer; and it is made
to button down the front, from the bosom to a little below the girdle,
instead of lapping over: it is open, likewise, on each side, from the
height of the hip, downwards. In general the yelek is cut in such a
manner as to leave half of the bosom uncovered, except by the shirt; but
many ladies have it made more ample at that part: and, according to the
most approved fashion, it should be of a sufficient length to reach to
the ground, or should exceed that length by two of three inches, or
more. A short vest (called “anter′ee”), reaching only a little below the
waist, and exactly resembling a yelek of which the lower part has been
cut off, is sometimes worn instead of the latter. A square shawl, or an
embroidered kerchief, doubled diagonally, is put loosely round the waist
as a girdle; the two corners that are folded together hanging down
behind. Over the yelek is worn a gibbeh of cloth, or velvet, or silk,
usually embroidered with gold or with coloured silk: it differs in form
from the gibbeh of the men chiefly in being not so wide; particularly in
the fore part; and is of the same length as the yelek. Instead of this,
a jacket (called “saltah”), generally of cloth or velvet, and
embroidered in the same manner as the gibbeh, is often worn. The
head-dress consists of a tákeeyeh and tarboosh, with a square kerchief
(called “faroodeeyeh”) of printed or painted muslin, or one of crape,
wound tightly round, composing what is called a “rabtah.” Two or more
such kerchiefs were commonly used, a short time since, and are still
sometimes, to form the ladies’ turban, but always wound in a high, flat
shape, very different from that of the turban of the men. A kind of
crown, called “kurs,” and other ornaments, are attached to the ladies’
head-dress: descriptions and engravings of these and other ornaments of
the women of Egypt will be found in the Appendix to this work. A long
piece of white muslin embroidered at each end with coloured silks and
gold, or of coloured crape ornamented with gold thread, etc., and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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