Egyptian historian, Islamic art expert, fashion designer, and the owner of a chain store that sells artifacts inspired by Egyptian heritage, Shahira Mehrez, has recently released a new book titled “Costumes of Egypt: The Lost Legacies”.
The variety of costumes displayed in this first volume reflects a compelling fact: despite geographical distances, religious and ethnic diversity, or the passage of millennia and civilizations, Nubians, Nile Valley peasants, Bedouins, oasis dwellers, Christians, and Muslims all shared ancestral lineage.
Both old and new symbols blended into a single heritage, producing an Egyptian identity that was diverse yet harmonious.
That shared legacy provides unmistakable and tangible evidence of the nation’s oneness, proving that these varied populations have historically been powerful elements of a multicultural and pluralistic nation.
The book launching event took place at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. During the event, Shahira Mehrez delivered a lecture about the book, which she published in collaboration with the French Institute for Eastern Archaeology.
It is worth noting that Mehrez holds a Master’s degree in Islamic art. As a teenager, she traveled a lot within the Egyptian state and began accumulating different attires from many villages all over Egypt. She started selling them in her apartment before finally opening her own chain store.
Moreover, Shahira also used to squeeze olive oil from her olive trees and collect Egyptian recipes from different governorates and cities in Egypt to feature them in a book on Egyptian cooking.
Shahira’s book is the result of decades of research and hard work. This four-volume book meticulously documents and examines the origins of historically documented Egyptian women’s wear and jewelry, much of which has since vanished.
