Greek Cypriot dress         The period of Ottoman Rule (1571-1878)        The period of British Rule (1878-1960)

Cypriot native dress with its own special character is the outcome of a centuries-long tradition which developed under foreign influences both of East and West. Throughout its history local dress was exposed to external trends and fashions which had been selectively assimilated to form genuine native apparel. The Greek Cypriot dress includes the appearance of the Christian subjects of the island, who formed the majority of the population. A detailed study of the sources has documented that dress corresponded to a differentiated social stratification. The appearance of the people distinctively expressed their social status. The presentation of the Greek Cypriot dress focuses on the periods of Ottoman and British rule.

The costume of the woman of Karpasia comprises the following dress items: a red skirt called routzetti,

the ypokamison (chemise), the sarka (sleeved jacket), the headdress consisting of two scarves, the skaletta (necklace) and podines (boots).

Published with the permission of the National Historical Museum, Athens, Greece.