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Ziryab The Great Fashion Designer of Al-Andalus

Abu l-Hasan ‘Ali Ibn Nafi‘ (Persian and Arabic: أبو الحسن علي ابن نافع; Kurdish: ئه‌بو ئه‌لحه‌سه‌ن عه‌لی إبن نافع) (c. 789–857), nicknamed Ziryab (Persian language: Zaryâb, Kurdish: زۆراو Zorab), was a Black African[1][2][3][4][5] or Persian[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] or Kurdish[15][16][17][18][19][20] polymath: a poet, musician, singer, chemist, cosmetologist, fashion designer, trendsetter, strategist, astronomer, botanist and geographer.[14][21] He was active at the Umayyad court of Córdoba in Islamic Iberia. He first achieved notoriety at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, Iraq, his birth place, as a performer and student of the great musician and composer, Ishaq al-Mawsili.

Ziryab had a lasting influence on fashion, bringing styles from the Middle East to Al-Andalus, including sophisticated styles of clothing based on the season and the time of day. The winter costumes designed by Ziryab were of dark colors, made from warm cotton, wool, and he also introduced velvet. His summer garments were made of cool and light materials, such as cotton, silk and flax, in light and bright colors. The brilliant colors for these clothes were produced in the advanced tanneries and dye works of the Muslim world. In the 12th century, there were more than 86 tanneries and 116 dye works only in Fes, Morocco.[28]
Ziryab started a vogue by changing clothes according to the weather and season.[23] He suggested different clothing for mornings, afternoons and evenings. Henri Terrasse, a French historian, commented on the fashion work of Ziryab; "He introduced winter and summer dresses, setting exactly the dates when each fashion was to be worn. He also added dresses of half season for intervals between seasons. Through him, the luxurious dress of the Orient was introduced in Iberia. Under his influence a fashion industry was set up, producing coloured striped fabric and coats of transparent fabric, which is still found in Morocco today.", though Terrasse goes on to caution "Without a doubt, a lone man could not achieve this transformation. It is rather a development which shook the Muslim world in general, although historic legend attributes all these changes to Ziryab and his promoter, Abd ar-Rahman II".[29] Ziryab also introduced bleached white clothing, and he encouraged the development of the textile industry.

He introduced the Tablecloth and created a new type of deodorant.[23] He also promoted morning and evening baths and emphasized the maintenance of personal hygiene. Ziryab is known to have invented an early toothpaste, which he popularized throughout Islamic Iberia.[30] The exact ingredients of this toothpaste are not currently known,[26] but it was reported to have been both "functional and pleasant to taste."[30] He also introduced under-arm deodorants and "new short hairstyles leaving the neck, ears and eyebrows free,"[22] as well as shaving for men. His precise ability to produce deodorants and a type of toothpaste proves that he may have some knowledge of chemistry.

According to Al-Maqqari before the arrival of Ziryab, all the people of al-Andalus, in the Cordoban court, wore their long hair parted in the middle and hung down loose down to the shoulders, men and women; Ziryab had his hair cut with bangs down to his eyebrows, and cut straight across his forehead, and hair pulled back with little spit curls coming out from the sides of his ears his hairstyle was truly impressive to the onlookers. He popularized shaving among men and set new haircut trends. Royalty used to wash their hair with rose water, but Ziryab introduced the use of salt and fragrant oils to improve the hair’s condition.[26] The opening of Ziryab’s beauty parlors created new shorter hairstyles that were considered risque at the time.[26]
For women, he opened a beauty parlour or “cosmetology school” near Alcázar, where he introduced a "shorter, shaped cut, with a fringe on the forehead and the ears uncovered." He also taught "the shaping of eyebrows and the use of depilatories for removing body hair", and he introduced new perfumes and cosmetics.[26]
He was well versed in many areas of classical study such as astronomy, history, and geography. Ziryab encouraged the spread of knowledge from different cultures and backgrounds to better the people of Cordoba.

Evariste Levi-Provencal, the renowned historian of Spanish civilization says about Ziryab, "he was a genius and his influence in Spanish society of the time not only encompassed music but also all aspects of Society.” Titus Burckhardt, the German historian of Islam writes, “he was a genius musical scholar and at the same time the one who brought Arabic music to Spain and consequently to all of the western world.”[cite this quote]Ziryab revolutionized the court at Córdoba and made it the stylistic capital of its time. Whether introducing new clothes, styles, foods, hygiene products, or music Ziryab changed al-Andalusian culture forever. The musical contributions of Ziryab alone are staggering, laying the groundwork for classic Spanish music. After the death of Adb al Rahman II and Ziryab, Cordoba developed into one of the intellectual capitals of Europe. Ziryab transcends being a popular icon in music and style, and became a revolutionary cultural figure in 8th and 9th century Iberia. Without his influence Spanish music and culture would have been years behind.
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TERCIO :The tercio was a Renaissance era military formation made up of a mixed infantry formation of about 3,000 pikemen, swordsmen and arquebusiers or musketeers in a mutually supportive formation. It was also sometimes referred to as the Spanish Square. It was widely adopted and dominated European battlefields in the sixteenth century and the first half of the seventeenth century. Source :[link]

Hetalia, England aph, Spain aph, Egypt aph, Italy aph, Macau aph & Netherlands aph belonged to Himaruya H.
Spice Islands is Maluku Islands in Indonesia.
Indonesia aph, Malaysia aph & Portugal aph based on Himaruya\'s sketch. ([link])

Al-Andalus design by 増田ヒメノ in pixiv, link :[link]

Scotland aph & Luxembourg aph from Hetawiki : [link]