This women\u2019s costume from Alaya, donated to the Centre for Asia Minor Studies and Culture (KE.MI.PO.) of the Municipality of Nea Ionia by Maria Kiourtsoglou\u2014godmother to Stelios Kazantzidis\u2014constitutes a characteristic example of urban Asia Minor dress, in which elegance, rich colour, and the harmonious blending of Eastern and European elements coexist. The principal garment is made of fine, light-coloured silk in an off-white\u2013champagne tone, with woven ribbing that produces a subtle sheen and indicates a textile of particularly high quality. The garment is long and generously cut, with slight fullness at the sleeves and a close fit across the chest\u2014a feature frequently encountered in the attire of the Greek Orthodox (Rum) communities along the coast of Asia Minor.<\/p>\n
On the silk base, an impressive woven silk belt (zoma) in a vibrant fuchsia color is tied, adorned with colorful geometric patterns and rich golden fringes. The belt is worn wrapped around the waist and tied at the side, creating a multi-layered effect as the fringes and diagonal folds fall symmetrically, adding movement to the ensemble. The presence of fuchsia and gold is characteristic of both the period and region, as the women of Alaya were fond of bold, bright hues that highlighted the silk texture.<\/p>\n
On the right side of the costume, a piece of fabric in a purple-and-white striped weave is laid out\u2014most likely part of an inner apron or an additional garment\u2014providing contrast and depth to the overall colour scheme. The long gold tassels hanging from the sash underscore the festive character of the attire. In the upper part, the woman would typically wear a fine inner shirt\u2014here faintly visible through the fabric\u2019s semi-transparency\u2014and on her head the characteristic urban fez, also shown in the accompanying image.<\/p>\n
As a whole, the costume reveals the high level of weaving and tailoring in Alaya, as well as the region\u2019s close commercial ties with centres of silk production. Such garments were worn primarily on feast days, during social visits, and on formal occasions, serving as a marker of social standing, aesthetic sensibility, and urban refinement. It is a particularly eloquent example of Asia Minor\u2019s splendid dress tradition shortly before the uprooting, when silk, colour, and gold embroidery combined to create an aesthetic that is both distinctive and immediately recognisable. The costume is exhibited at the Folklore Museum of KE.MI.PO., Municipality of Nea Ionia.<\/p>\n
Kindly made available for photography by KE.MI.PO., Municipality of Nea Ionia.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":20915,"template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[192],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21038","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-clothing-jewelry","8":"first","9":"instock","10":"shipping-taxable","11":"product-type-simple"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/21038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=21038"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=21038"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alaya.gr\/digitalmuseum\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=21038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}