Armenia is one of the most beautiful countries in the greater Middle East. It is a country that is known for its beautiful landscapes, its cuisine, culture, and history. If you want to know more about Fashion in Armenia, then you must read this article to the end. These facts were not listed, but if you read through them, you will discover 100 different facts about fashion in Armenia.
Being the first country to officially adopt Christianity, it is a country where you will find some of the world’s oldest churches in extremely beautiful settings.
But that’s not all, when it comes to safety, it is one of the safest countries in the world and they are known to have a low crime level.
In the summer, you find locals walking in the streets even till midnight. Before we go ahead to discuss fashion in Armenia, we will be looking at some of the interesting facts about Armenia.
The Most Interesting Facts About Armenia
- Armenia is an ancient country
- The first country to adopt Christianity
- Armenia has its own alphabet
- Armenia is home to the world’s oldest winery
- Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world
- Armenia has a record-breaking cable car
Armenia is an ancient country
The history of Armenia dates back to well before the Bronze Age and traces the beginnings of Civilization. They are known for their rich and unique heritage which is very much fascinating to explore.
For instance, Ughtasar Petroglyphs date back to 12000 BC. The world’s oldest known leather shoe dates back to 3500 BC discovered in Areni.
Furthermore, Armenia is among the 6 ancient countries that have survived for thousands of years.
The first country to adopt Christianity
Armenia is the first country to adopt Christianity as its state religion. According to research, 97% of Armenia’s population are Christians. The first church in the world was built in Armenia.
Armenia has its own alphabet
There are interesting facts about the Armenian language. Armenia is a country that has its own alphabet and it is one of the most advanced in the world.
Scientists consider the Armenian alphabet to be one of the most advanced in the world.
Armenia is home to the world’s oldest winery
Armenia produces some really good wines and not only from grapes but also from other fruits.
Yerevan is one of the oldest cities in the world
The Armenian capital was founded in 782 BC by King Argishti, and it is said to be older than Rome. What you might be seeing now about the city is a modern capital in the European style but the origins of the city are really impressive!
Armenia has a record-breaking cable car
According to Guinness World Records, the longest non-stop double-track cable car is the Tatev Aerial Tramway and it is known to clock in at 5,752m (18,871ft) long.
This wonderful cable car connects the village of Halidzor with the Tatev Monastery.
Armenian Traditional Clothing
The dress of the Armenians, also known as Armenian traditional clothing reflects a rich cultural tradition. Wool and fur were utilized by the Armenians along with cotton that was grown in the very fertile valleys.
It was recorded that during the Urartian period, silk imported from China was used by royalty. Later, the Armenians cultivated silkworms and produced their own silk.
The collection of Armenian women’s costumes begins during the Urarrtu time period, wherein dresses were designed with creamy white silk, embroidered with gold thread.
The costume was a replica of a medallion unearthed by archaeologists at Toprak Kale near Lake Van, which some years ago was the site of the capital of the Kingdom of Urartu.
The Armenian national costume, having exited through long periods of historical development was one of the signals of self-preservation for the Armenian culture.
Being in an area of crossroads of diverse eastern styles, Armenian dress is very significant in not only borrowing but, also often playing an influential role on neighboring nations.
Their costume can be divided into two main regions:
- Western Armenians
- Eastern Armenians
The two listed above are also divided into separate subregions. The costume of the Armenians of Western Western Armenia is mainly divided into two regions:
- 1. Areas of the Eastern Provinces: Taron (including Sasun), Bardzr Hayk, Vaspurakan, and Baghesh.
- 2. The regions of Sebastia, Kayseri, Cilicia in the western states, and Kharberd-Tigranakert in the south.
The first group kept closer to the traditions of the Armenian costume while in the second group, the influence of some Anatolian cultures is seen.
Furthermore, Eastern Armenian costume can be divided into three regions:
1. Syunik-Artsakh, Zangezur, and Ayrarat.
2. Goghtan (Agulis, Ordubad)
3. Gandzak, Gugark, Shirak, Javakhk.
The Colors of the Armenian Costume
The Armenian costume is dominated by the colors of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire. According to the 14th-century Armenian philosopher Grigor Tatasi, the Armenian costume is made to express the ancestral soil, the whiteness of the water, the red of the air, and the yellow of the fire.
Apricot symbolizes prudence and common sense, red symbolizes courage and martyrdom, blue symbolizes heavenly justice, and white symbolizes purity.
Some of the techniques that are used in making these costumes have survived to this day and are actively used in the applied arts, however, there are techniques that have been lost.
Each province of Armenia stands out with its costume. The famous centers of Armenian embroidery-Van-Vaspurakan, Karin, Shirak, Syunik-Artsakh, Cilicia – stand out with their rhythmic and stylistic description of ornaments, color combinations, and composition.
More About The Dress of the Armenians
Armenia is a landlocked country with an extraordinary collection of medieval monasteries and churches perched on dramatic cliff tops.
It feels like one of those places tourists have never discovered. Since gaining independence they have remained close to Russia and other ex-Soviet countries.
According to research, Russia is its key trading partner, which means that its economy is closely tied to that of Russia.
A lot of times people dress like in any other European city, and the capital’s many outdoor restaurants are full of locals with their coffees and Apple computers, surrounded by communist architecture.
Fashion in Armenia; Their Traditional Dress
The Armenian traditional dress Taraz mirrors the mentality and cultural idiosyncrasies of the country.
The Armenian costumes used to be one of the most prominent measures of expressing and maintaining their cultural identity. In this section, we will be looking at the types of Armenian Traditional Dress.
It might interest you to know that there are several historical circumstances that resulted in the formation of Eastern and Western Armenian costume styles, the patterns highlight class identity, position in life, regional identity, wealth, and gender.
In Armenia, looking at a costume, you will immediately realize the social level of the wearer and in most cases, you will be able to identify some nuances such as social class. Let’s look at:
- Men’s Armenian Taraz
- Women’s Armenian Taraz
- Women’s Taraz of Middle and Late Middle Ages
- Armenian Traditional Dress of Western and Eastern Armenia
Men’s Armenian Taraz
The Armenian Taraz consists of two main components: the upper part (a shirt, a jacket, a fur coat) and the lower back part (trousers, belt).
The men’s shirt was long-sleeved with a collar decorated with embroidery. Men wore caftan over the shirt which was another important traditional attribute of men’s Taraz.
Appearing without caftan in public places was unacceptable despite the hot weather. Their trousers were usually very loose and comfortable. Moreover, the belt used to be a significant attribute as well.
A silver belt was regarded as a symbol of his maturity, whereas a golden belt showed his wealth.
Women’s Armenian Taraz
The outer garment of women was quite diverse, it included dresses, jackets, and sleeveless clothes. Their dresses were made of satin, silk and velvet. The women’s clothing was decorated with embroidery.
The high-class members decorated their clothes with gold and silver fibers. Female accessories played a significant role.
Pieces of jewelry were carefully kept and passed from generation to generation. Women who are living in the eastern regions of Armenia wore long red trousers under long red dresses.
Meanwhile, the lower part of those trousers was made of a more expensive texture. The dresses of western Armenians were almost the same with just minor differences. The main accessories were necklaces and silver bracelets.
The embroidered fabric which was one of the essential features of the national costume, besides the aesthetic function, had another, perhaps more important, ritualistic and protective significance.
People believed that those embroidered fabrics and headdresses protected the bearers from harm and evil.
Women’s Taraz of Middle and Late Middle Ages
Unlike the ancient ones, Medieval Armenian headdresses had a simple structure. Women covered their heads with veils and such practice can be seen in the Urartian costumes as well.
Medieval women did cover their mouths as tight as this was accepted in this time period. Throughout the early middle ages, there was a tangible influence of Byzantine and Arab costumes within the Armenian elite.
During the late middle ages, the traditional taraz partially reflected the cultural or tribal peculiarities of Turkish, Tatar and Kurdish conquerors.
In some provinces, the culture of wearing Taraz continued until the end of the 19th century after which European clothes came to replace the national costumes.
Armenian Traditional Dress of Western and Eastern Armenia
The traditional dresses of Vaspurakan, Bayazet, Upper Hayk and Cilicia are considered to be the representatives of Western Armenian national costumes which are distinguished by having floral and geometric decorations found in both male and female outfits.
Western and Eastern Armenian costumes differed as well. In the eastern provinces, men’s Taraz consisted of trousers, short shirts, and caftan.
In the winter they usually wore beltless loose fur-lined overcoats and hats made out of lamb fur-lined overcoats and hats made out of lamb fur. In western Armenia, the Taraz consisted of trousers decorated with embroidered elements, short-sleeveless dresses, shirts with embroidered sleeves, woolen belts and cone-shaped hats.
The socks and leather footwear were an inseparable part of the Armenian traditional dress in the case of both male and female dresses. Those leather footwear were called “trekh”.
An important component of the Armenian Taraz was the accessory, which expressed the aesthetic preferences of the wearer. Some types of accessories such as crosses and amulets were used to treat illnesses. Are there facts about fashion in Armenia you think we should know? Please leave a comment below.
