Fabrics were differentiated and classified according to their weave, color, pattern and texture, not only by producers and traders whose livelihood depended on them, but also by the consumers for whom they were important as the visual, material and financial basis of an elaborate costume language.

Since the 19th century Jordanian costumes for both men and women used to be made from a variety of imported materials. Fragments of fabrics found in the caves in central Jordan (Fouhais and Khirbet Salem) show that costumes in the 19th century were made of hand-woven indigo-dyed linen.

Details of various woollen costume components
handwoven by women

It was known that relatively simple cottons, linens, and woollens were imported from Egypt, Palestine, and Europe, while finer, intricately woven silks, satins and brocades, were mostly imported from the large textile-producing centres of Syria.

In the 1920's, these fabrics were replaced by mechanized black cotton called "Dubeit", imported from Damascus (Syria) and Nablus (Palestine). Bedouins and peasants all over Jordan used the dubeit fabric.

Only one area in Jordan had a love for colored textiles, and that was Ma'an. Ma'an situated to the south, was a railway station on the Istanbul-Hijaz line. Thus this city was the meeting place for pilgrims on their way to Mecca from all the surrounding areas.

Patchwork Textile	Turban Textile

To cover the expense of the trip, Syrian pilgrims brought with them hand-woven silk fabrics to sell in Ma'an. As a result, the Ma'an costume emerged as a colorful combination of Syrian silks and in ikat-dyed overcoat.

Other fabrics that were used in Jordan were a black silk crepe called "Shambar", used as a head cover and a silk-brocaded square used as a headband. A black fabric called "Malas" was also used for costumes in different parts of Jordan.

In the 1960s, the new synthetic textiles that flooded the Jordanian markets from both Europe and Asia replaced all these natural fabrics. The women found the new fabrics cheaper and more practical.

Syrian Silk and Satin Fabrics (SAYA)

These days silk and satin fabrics from Syria "SAYA", now semi-mechanized and made of a mixture of cotton and rayon, is used largely in producing traditional costumes and outfits for both men and women.