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.

A Bedouin woman in Sinaw, Oman ( Image © Eric Lafforgue )

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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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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Ajrak the traditional attire from Sindh , Pakistan  is the idiosyncratic cloth used by the locals of Sindh and Southern Punjab as symbol of grace and high esteem. Males use it as turban and Shawl while women use as their Chaddar and Dubatta. It is normally colored with indigo , crimson , white and black patterns.

Ajrak , the traditional attire from Sindh, Pakistan , Photo Credit : Asif Hassan

The handmade printing process of Ajrak is called resist printing. Carved wooden blocks are used for this process which is really a challenging job as all of this has to be harmonized  perfectly on the cloth. The making of these blocks is quite arithmetic jobs as all the graphs are drawn with geometric tools. The carving of the blocks is also very technical and skillful task. Normally the craftsmen waste the blocks after accomplishment with the patterns. The use of Ajrak is a continued tradition of Sindh for thousands of years. It is traced from the ancient Indus civilization. The world famous statue of the King Priest discovered at Mohenjo-Daro exhibits a shawl display around his shoulders. It is decorated with a threefold pattern  intermixed with tiny circles, that are colored inside with red shades. A similar artifact has also been discovered in Mesopotamian remains. The same threefold pattern usage is found in the present Ajrak.

Ajrak the traditional attire from Sindh, Pakistan is made in almost all cities of  Sindh. Its usage can be observed in all segments of Sindhi society. It is a prestigious gift often presented to the guests in their honor. The locals also wear Ajrak on mirthful events such as weddings and cultural programs.