16 September, 2021

History of perfume in the Ancient East

Continuing with the chronology of the history of perfume and as we have already told you in our previous articles, after Egypt, Greece and Rome, The next fundamental step in the evolution of perfume is the Ancient East.

To better understand this stage, we must first go back to the 5th century, more specifically to the Byzantine Empire, closely linked to Rome. Likewise, the surprising union of numerous nomadic peoples gave rise to the birth of Persia (present-day Iran) and the Middle East became one of the areas most linked to the history of perfume.

PERFUMES IN THE ANCIENT EAST

Persia and the Middle East

Persia was in the middle of a trade route through which essences and skincare were transported that constituted a very important part of the economy of the Old Persian Empire.

Persian tea roses, myrrh, cedar wood, incense ... From that ancient route they have reached our days and persist in a multitude of current aromas and perfumes.

In Europe the use of perfumes declined after the fall of the Roman Empire and the expansion of Christianity, which preached austerity. So perfumes became a symbol of wealth.

The Byzantine Empire

At the same time, in the East, with the rise of the Byzantine Empire and the spread of Islam, perfumes continued to expand and Byzantium managed to make this industry much larger than that of the Roman empire, since in addition to the easy access to raw materials, new aromas emerged from ambergris, rose water or musk.

Likewise, distillation with alcohol, the basis of today's perfumery, was perfected. The Arabs spread this technique with perfumes throughout Europe through Spain.

Also in China there was an important devotion to aromas and they worked large crops of flowers dedicated to pressing petals to create fragrances.

With all these sources, who can doubt the importance of the Ancient East in the history of perfumes?

Characteristics and types of aromas of perfumes in the Ancient East

TYPES OF AROMAS THAT TRIUMPHED IN THE ANCIENT EAST

The perfumes of the Ancient East are characterized by spicy, sweet, floral aromas, etc ... These are some of the most popular:

Spicy: these aromas stand out for their power. They come from ingredients like cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg. They are intoxicating.
Floral Orientals: They belong to the family of aromatic flowers and it is one of the oldest aromas. It is obtained with flowers such as gardenia, carnation or tuberose.DIVAIN-078, similar to Jesus del Pozo's Halloween is a perfect example of this type of scent.
Notes to woods:It is made from aromatic woods such as sandalwood, cedar or vetiver. If you like these scents we recommend our fragrance DIVAIN-272, similar to In Motion by Hugo Boss
Oriental sweet or gourmand: are irresistible aromas that are achieved by mixing essential oils with cocoa, honey, vanilla ... Our DIVAIN-196, similar to Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille is a perfect example of this type of fragrance.

DIVAIN PERFUMES TO TRAVEL TO THE ANCIENT EAST

DIVAIN-556, similar to Jungle L'Elephant by Kenzo:

There cannot be a more oriental feminine perfume than DIVAIN-556, similar to Jungle L'Elephant by Kenzo. With countless notes of aromatic plants, its aroma will transport you to a Tunisian souk, discovering nuances and colors at every step.

DIVAIN-295, similar to Noir Extrême by Tom Ford

And for men, DIVAIN-295, similar to Noir Extrême by Tom Ford, which captures the mystery of the Orient in an unforgettable fragrance, with notes of spices and wood. Reveal all your manly magnetism adding an elegant touch of sensuality.

DIVAIN-163, similar to Shalimar by Guerlain

Finally, we cannot forget about our DIVAIN-163, similar to the feminine perfume Shalimar by Guerlain. A sensual and elegant fragrance inspired by a love story that will transport you to the Far East to discover paradisiacal places full of secrets.

If you want to discover more fragrances with this oriental touch, use our filters and let yourself fall in love with these perfumes, which are not made to go unnoticed.