Desert Moon Dance Academy created this page for your enjoyment. This is a place to acquire information and ideas for Middle Eastern folkloric and belly dance costuming. Visit often; this page will be frequently updated and expanded.

Jessica wears a simple yet elegant costume.

   Costume Gallery Links

   Jewelry Links

   Costume Trends

   Costume Buyers' Guide

Costume Gallery Links 

1001and1de  –   Photos of dancers from Turkey and Egypt.  

Africatower  –   Three pages of pictures in their special 2005 article on belly dance. 

Aleena's Belly Dance Gallery  –   A gallery of pictures of  American belly dancers that can provide ideas of costuming used in the United States.

Allure of the belly-dance  –   A picture of dancers in modern assuit. 

 Arab Fashion Show in Dundee  –   From the show by Kuwaiti Haifa Alanjari.  

Assuit –  An article and one fabulous picture. 

Belly Dance Museum –  Lots of fantastic pictures 

Belly Dancer at the Cairo Hilton  

Belly Dancer in Instanbul   

Belly Dance Saray   - Pictures of Turkish belly dancers. 

Belly Dancing Costumes - Feature article from Tour Egypt with  pictures.  

Cairo Costume Disasters –  Article by Leyla Lanty with pictures of  modern Egyptian belly dance costumes she considered to be disasters.  

Cleopatra Costumes on Stage and in Film –  A great site!  Lots to see and learn.  Articles and
pictures with a time line ranging from the costuming of the real Cleopatra to the Hollywood era.  

Cultural Couture: Palestinian Heritage Foundation Nurtures the Fabric of Arab Life and Tradition in the U.S.  –  A very interesting article about fabrics from the Middle East as well as pictures.  

Dina  – Dina from Egypt has unique belly dance costumes.  New

Farida Fahmy  – In Assuit 

The Ghawazee -  1999 picture of the Benat Mazin sisters.  

Images of Marrakesh –  Picture gallery showing some of the dancers  and musicians at the 1995 Marrakesh Folk Festival in Morocco and includes scenes in and around the city. 

Judnick.com - Historic costuming on postcards and recent dancer photographs.  

Kalasiris Virus: Tracing the Fabric and Fashion Evolution of Ancient Egypt’s Most Renown
Garment – Only one small picture but a really  good article.   

Keti Sharif's Gallary of Egyptian folkloric and cabaret belly dance costumes.  

Lamsa Traditional Dresses from Saudi Arabia –  Lots of pictures shown by region of the country.

Lisa Guiraut (Leila) – Picture from the movie "From Russian with Love"

Little Egypt – People thought this costume was obscene.  

Lucy – A modern beledi dress.  

Mata Hari  – The following are several links to pictures of Mata Hara. Some represent her
dances of India and some are belly dance. 

Mishaal's pictures of Oriental Dancers in Turkey  – Recent pictures  taken in Turkey showing modern cabaret style costumes.

Morocco - picture of dancer in a folkloric dress.  

Morocco - picture of dancer in a bedleh. 

Morocco - picture of dancer in beach costume? 

Nabila Metwali from Lebanon

Omphalo-Stepses: Bellydancers and Harem Girls – A gallery with thousands of pictures.  

Orient House in Istanbul 

Oriental Costumes, Their Designs and Colors –  A scholarly article with many pictures.  

Oriental Suite  –   Four 19th century photographs by Roger Fenton and an article describing his art.  Two of the pictures have nice costume concepts for folkloric dancers.   More interesting is the article.  Learn the myths of what appears to be documented fact.  

Palestinian Costume Archive – Numerous pictures of costumes from  Palestine and several from other parts of the Middle East as well as articles.  Visit this site!  

Palestinian Fashion – Five pictures. 

Persischer Tanz – Numerous drawing of Persian costumes. 

Raqia Hassan - 2nd Annual Cairo Oriental Dance Festival  –   Includes several pictures of Dina.  See the link "Masters."

 Regional Turkish Costumes  

Ruth St. Denis  – A fantastic picture of Ruth St. Denis.   

Samia Gamal  – Links to several pictures:

            A famous picture 

            A costume that you could make 

            Another simple and beautiful costume 

Scenes from Turkey: Oriental Dance–  Pictures of belly dancers by Julie Elliot. 

Successful Shopping in Cairo  –  Places to shop and pictures. 

Tahia Carioca –  One very nice cabaret picture. 

Tahia Carioca –  One very nice folkloric picture. 

Traditional Lebanese Costumes – A few pictures

Traditional women's clothing in Moslem Countries – Lots of  fantastic pictures

Turkish and Persian Women's Clothing  – A series of pictures followed by an article

Turkish Belly Dancer

Turkish Delights   – Belly dance pictures are near bottom of page.  

 Uzbek Dance and Culture Society     

Ugly Belly Dance Costumes I   

 Ugly Belly Dance Costumes II      

Women's Headdresses in Turkish Folklore    –  Many great pictures.      

Yasmina's Vintage Belly Dance Photos  

Jewelry Links 

Comments on Silver Jewelry of the Middle East   – Pictures and descriptions   

Coyote's Paw – Bedouin, Kuchi,  and Yemin  jewelry and clothing and  jewelry from other Middle Eastern countries. 

Lure and Legend of Arabian Jewelry – A very informative article that  includes some nice pictures.  

TribalMax – Another selection of Kuchi Jewelry.

Costume Trends

Bikini belly dancer shocks -- shocks! -- Egyptian sensibilities  May 1997 article regarding costuming laws in Egypt and Dina's garb.  

All shook up: New trends ripple belly dancing community June 1997 article regarding changing belly dance costume styles in Egypt