This ensemble represents the typical festive and bridal costume worn by Greek women of Alaya, preserving elements of both Greek and Asia Minor aesthetics. It consists of multiple garments and items of jewellery, each with its own function and symbolism.
1. Headscarf – Fez with Church Headscarf
The base is the fez, made obligatory by the Ottoman authorities as part of population-wide uniformity measures. Over it is placed a white headscarf, embroidered with vegetal motifs and finished with fringes at the edges. This headscarf signified modesty and social standing. In some cases, a light veil was also worn over it, especially for weddings and church attendance.
2. Inner Garment – Dress / Kamizola
Made of woven cotton or silk in soft tones (white, cream, pink). The textile bears a discreet woven pattern with tiny dots and linear designs. The dress is long, with ample pleating, allowing ease of movement while maintaining the costume’s volume. The buttons at the chest are usually metal or glass.
3. The Short Outer Garment (Zibouni / Tzakos)
The outer garment is a short tzaki made of luxurious fabric—often velvet or satin—with a striped pattern in shades of burgundy, fuchsia, and brown. The edges are trimmed with gold braid. Its role was both decorative and symbolic, marking the outfit as “festive” or “honorific” dress.
4. Belt – Metal Zonarás with Buckles
At the waist, a silk or woven belt is worn, often embroidered with vegetal motifs in gold thread. The central feature is a pair of double gold buckles (often of bronze or gilded metal), with relief decoration. These buckles are a characteristic Asia Minor element, signifying female honour and maturity.
5. Waist Scarf – Epidésmio
It hangs from one side of the belt, finished with a textile tassel and gold thread. It was used either to protect the fabric of the costume or as a decorative element. It bears printed patterns in an Asia Minor style (floral sprays, arabesques).
6. Jewellery – Gold Coins and Chains
Women’s dress in Alaya was accompanied by a cord bearing coins or gold discs, symbols of dowry and family prosperity. In the photograph, we see a sequence of round gold discs forming a necklace.