Have you ever chowed down Sfiha ? My Goodness ! You don’t even know about this crispy Arabian pizza !
Sfiha – The traditional Arabian Pizza – Image by avlxyz – flickr
Sfiha is the traditional open faced meat pie which is popular through out the Arab region. There is a conflict about the right origin of Sfiha. Some anthropologists suggest that Sfiha belongs to the Arabian Peninsula, while others think that it was commenced from the ancient Baalbek, now in Lebanon. At that times, Sfiha was simply a stuffed ground lamb, lightly spiced, wrapped in brined grape leaves. With the passage of time, many versions of Sfiha are introduced through out the world.
The main ingredients of Sfiha include, minced lamb, finely choped tomatoes and onions, olive oil, yougurt and the traditional spices. Sfiha, the crispy Arabian pizzaare also familiarized in the Latin and South America, especially in Brazil where sfihas are folded into a triangular pastry, although the open-faced version is very common too.
The story of the traditional dress of Oman is full of rich culture and history. The Omanis wear magnificent dresses of vivacious colors that are designed on enticing patterns. The today’s Sultanate of Oman falls in the Arab world located in the southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Perhaps Oman is one of those countries of the lovely planet where the practice to wear the traditional dress is still alive. The dominant religion of Omanis is Islam and they are among the first people who accepted Islam. The climate of Oman is very hot with a very few annual rainfall, so these all factors are specially reflected in the Omanis attire.
An Omani man wearing the traditional Dishdasha - Image by Rahuu
The traditional men’s dress in Oman is Dishdasha which is a long gown normally touching the ankles and having long sleeves. The Omanis men usually love to wear the white Dishdasha but it is also seen in numerous other colors. Dishdahsa is worn over a plain piece of cloth and the men also use a typical turban as their headdress. The elder men also use a stick and the sandals are the favorite footwear for Omanis men.
The traditional Omani dagger ( Khanjar ) Image courtesy: flickr
Another fabulous feature of the Omanis men’s dress is the traditional dagger which is also known as Omani Khanjar. This traditional dagger or khanjar is curved and sharpened on both edges and it is the symbol of men’s esteem and prestige.
The Omani women wearing the traditional clothes - Image by ophiuchus 1
The modesty is the special characteristic of the women of Oman and at all times, the Omani women wear long dresses to her knees along with ankle-length pants and leeso, or scarves to cover their hair and necks. The female outfits are adorned with splendid embroidery and embellished with superb silver bands. In the festive occasions and marital ceremonies, the women of Oman specially garnish their hands and feet with Henna.
A woman showing the traditional Omani jewelry - Image courtesy: ophiuchus1
Silver and gold are the main metals used in the preparation of the traditional ornaments of Oman. They are designed on highly intricate patterns while some of them are also beautified with the engraved Islamic calligraphy. The traditional footwear for women is like a type of platform shoe made from wood called the qurhaf. However, presently the Omani women wear sandals or Western-style fashion shoes.
The Bedouin community of Oman has also some unique features in dresses as the Bedouin women wear the Omani Burqa (Abaya) along with an oiliest type of black mask used to make the complexion fairer.
The portrait of an Omani Bedouin guy - Image: ralzayani
The traditional dress of Oman is particularly different from the dresses of the neighboring Gulf countries for its marvelous design and delicate colors.
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Syria borders Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Israel and Jordan to the south, and Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Modern day Syria is officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic which was established as the parliamentary republic after the First World War as a French mandate, and represented the largest Arab state to emerge from the formerly Ottoman ruled Arab Levant. Syrians are an overall indigenous Levantinepeople, closely related to their immediate neighbors, like Lebanesepeople, Palestinians, and Jordanians. The overwhelming religion of Syria is Islam and the Syrians speak the Arabic language.
The culture of Syria possesses an ancient traditional background full of cultural diversity and history. The enormous culture of Syria is fully reflected through the customs of Syrian people and the demonstrations of traditional dances. The Syrian people wear their traditional dresses on the celebrations, marriage ceremonies and the birth occasions of the new borne babies. The traditional dress of Syria is famous in the Arab region for its conventional crafts, embroidery and fabulous designs. Although, the modern dressing is the fusion of the traditional and western styles and the people of Syria nowadays normally wear westerly attires, yet the traditional gowns, coats and jackets are still popular among the Syrian community.
A native Syrian man wearing his traditional costume - Anthony Pappone's Photo
The Syrian men used to wear the traditional dress including a white shirt made of cotton. They loved to embellish the costume with blue, red and black embroidery round the neck and at the chest. Underneath the shirt men usually wore a pant (shirwal) made of colored or non dyed cotton fabric. They also used the traditional coats made with light fabrics as the outer wear which were wide opened at the front and embroidered on its edges. The men also used another cloak which is known as Abaya which is normally made of various light-weight silk, artificial silk or mixed silk or cotton fabrics. They cover their heads with the scarves made of fine cotton or blue or violet silky fabric with red threads.
Some beautiful Syrian dancers wearing the traditional dresses - Sanja Matonickin's Image
The traditional dress for women in Syria is a garment made with triangular sleeves and it is called as Thob. In the past, the tailors used to apply elegant embroidery round the neck, at the chest and the sides. These dresses were further decorated with amazing patchworks in brilliant colors. The women also wore some other garments made with wool and other delicate fabrics. They also wrapped the dresses with a belt woven from red and black wool or cotton.
The upper garment for the women was a coat stitched with materials in dark colors with wide sleeves and side slits. The women of Syria wrap their heads with silky scarves decorated with splendid embroidery and fringes.
A Syrian Whirling dancer wearing the traditional costume - Moslem Mosbah's Photo
The traditional dress of Syria can be seen commonly on the eve of the celebrations of national importance. Such events particularly take place in Damascus and Aleppo which are culturally very rich cities.
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Jordan is an Arab country and the Jordanian culture is a blend of the Arabian, Islamic and Modern influences. The capital city Amman is a famous and ancient historic city. The majority people of Jordan belong to Islam and they speak the Arabic language. English and French are also the official languages and the small geography of Jordan still possesses variation in the clothing and traditions due to various life styles of the Jordanians.
The traditional Jordanian dresses worn by the dancers - Image courtesy : mejourneys.com
The rural population mostly consists of Bedouin and Palestinian communities who have nomadic way of life. The Jordanian Arabians depends upon the agricultural farming and cattle breeding while the greater number of the settled urban Jordanians are educated and perform businesses and other official jobs.
A Jordanian man wearing the traditional dress - sarah g-love's Image
The traditional dress of Jordan is also very unique and fantastic as the traditional clothing for men consists of tunic shirts, trousers and an elaborate over garment with a belt or cummerbund. They also cover their head with the typical Arabian Scarf which is like a turban.
A Jordanian man wearing his traditional Arabic Scarf - Edward Wachtman's Image
The traditional dress for women is very decorative and full of superb craftsmanship and embroidery. This dexterity is full of amazing color patterns and fascinating patchworks. Apart from the heavy load of the tiresome household tasks, the Jordanian women love to wear delicate and embellished dresses.
A beautiful Jordanian girl in her Ttaditional dress - Colin McLurgjpg's Image
The most common part of a Jordanian women’s costume is a long rectangular cleavage which is decorated with tremendous embroidery and it is adjusted in the front of the dress.
A wonderful image of a Jordanian urban girl - Kaaa Teee's Image
In the Northern part, one of the traditional dresses of Jordan is Shirsh which is a long outfit with tight sleeves and a decorated neckline and embroidered sides.
An image of the Jordanian city girls wearing the modern costumes and scarves - Mr. Littlehand's Image
Often, the dresses of central and southern Jordanians are of double length with long pointed sleeves.
Traditional Jordanian Costumes ( Image Courtesy: Wikimedia )
The traditional dress of Jordan represents the unique and ancient culture of this small Arabian country. It also reflects the colors of the ancient Bilad el Sham; the greater Syrian Kingdom.
A Jordanian belly dancer dancing in her traditional costume - Sarah Ackerman's Image
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Libya is the third largest country of Africa with an approximate population of 6.5 million. Almost three quarters of the total population is living in the urban areas and Tripoli is the capital of Libya which is also the largest city of the country. A civil war was urged in 2011 as a result of which the undemocratic regime was collapsed with the death of the country’s famous dictator Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Since the independence of Libya as the United Libyan Kingdom, the country observed strict and conservative religious codes of lives. Almost 97 % of the total population of Libya practice Islam and they belong to the Sunni School of thought.
Two Libyan girls in their traditional dresses - Mansour Ali's Image
The ancient Libya was a region of the indigenous Berber and Bedouin people, so their traditional values are the part of the Libyan cultural heritage. Although ,if we deeply study the pre historic Libya, the marks of the Phoenician, Greek and Roman civilizations will be prominent upon the culture of Libya. In the sixteenth century was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and remained under their control for a long time. Libya was occupied by the Italian, British and French forces on its different parts till the mid of the twentieth century.
A girl in a typical Libyan traditional costume - CH Lee's Image
The present Libyan people consider themselves as the part of the Arab world and Arabic is the official language of Libya. Although, Berbers and Tuareg groups still speak their own tribal languages.
The traditional dress of Libya consists of a long and loose gown along with the trouser for the lower body. They also use a cloak to cover their bodies and use the traditional cap on their heads. The Libyan youth is rapidly turning toward the Western clothing and the boys are normally seen in the jeans and shirts in the main cities.
A Libyan woman in her traditional dress - Valonia Hardy's image
The Libyan women also wear the typical long gowns which are also usually used to cover the heads. Modern girls although love to wear the fashionable and bright colored costumes but most women still continue to cover their hair in Hijab.
The women of Libya in the urban parts also use scarves - Alan Shipley's Image
Even the modernly designed costumes are also the blend of the traditional and Western styles. The traditional dress and jewelry is also very common in the rural areas.
A young Libyan girl in her traditional costume - Mansour Ali's Image
The nomadic Berber people of Libya trace their African roots back to 2000 B.C.E. and their traditional dress passed through many amendments caused by the influences of invading cultures. Still many Berbers continue to wear a “haik”, a large cloth wrapped around the body and wrap their heads with the cloth turbans. Similarly the Berber women cover their hair with scarves and their faces with veils called “mandeels”. Under their haiks, many Berbers wear ankle-length tunics or loose trousers called “shalwar”. A Berber women’s dress is very colorful and decorative.
Walking on the streets of Libya, you can see the Libyan people moving in different styles of garments. Even to see any man or woman in the traditional dress of Libya is not unusual.
Some Tuareg people of Libya dancing in their traditional ccostumes - Chris G Images
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