The traditional costumes of Evros in Thrace are some of the most beautiful and intricate in all of Greece. The region has a long history dating back to the Byzantine Empire, and its culture is reflected in its clothing. The women's dresses are especially lovely, with colourful embroidery and delicate lace.
My travel to Evros, Thrace.
I stayed in Evros for about forty days to create photographs of the local traditional women's costumes for my project "Caryatis". I have managed to capture the clothes of different groups across Evros, such as the large one of Makra Gefyra (Long bridge), which includes the variations of Marides, Issaakion, Zaloufi and Eastern Romylia, as well as the groups of Ormenio, Nea Vyssa, Metaxades and Enoe.
The richness of the costumes is reflected in the elaborate embroideries and colourful designs of "Gaitans" that decorated a large part of the costume. All the clothes were handmade and embroidered with great care by the girls and newly married women during the endless winter nights.
The processing of animal wool and cotton and the making of clothes were strictly women's jobs. The women carded the wool, combed it and wove it on the loom. Every housewife had in her house the necessary tools for the processing of wool such as a loom, spindle, wind, and more. The wool they used came mainly from the sheep that all the houses raised.
Nea Vyssa
The striking colours and designs of the costumes reflect the region's vibrant culture and history. The costume consists of a top with puffed sleeves and an embroidered bodice. The skirt is often adorned with pleats or ruffles and is usually made from brightly coloured fabric. A headscarf or other headpiece is used to complete the look. Traditional jewellery includes hoop earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings adorned with colourful stones or beads. These garments were once everyday wear for women in Nea Vyssa, but they are now only worn on special occasions such as weddings or religious festivals. Nevertheless, they remain important to the town's heritage and culture. The costumes are decorated with gold embroidery and beads. Religion plays a significant role in daily life and customs. One custom that is related to traditional costumes is that young girls must cover their heads with a scarf or piece of cloth until they are married. After marriage, they can choose to wear either a white or black headscarf as part of their attire. This tradition is thought to date back to Byzantine times when it was believed that covering a woman's hair would protect her from evil spirits.
Inside the houses of Nea Vyssa
When I first arrived in town, I realised that word had come out, and most of the locals had been informed of the shooting. I was taken to the beautiful garden of a local house, where a very long table had been set, with food and drinks. Fourteen women were dressed in traditional costumes for the photo shoot. It looked like a celebration!
It was obvious how the people of Nea Vyssa value their traditions and heritage. Throughout my stay in the area, I visited Nea Vyssa many times, although the initial plan was to do a one-day shooting. Some so many ladies wanted to wear their traditional costumes, so there was a lot to go by. We had a second shooting with sixteen more costumes, a third, around the tradition of garlic growing in the area, and a fourth, where I shot a traditional family portrait.
We needed to do a location scouting for the shooting, so I rode along with Fani, the president of the local cultural club, around most parts of the town to find appropriate interiors for the portraits. It proved to be a rather tedious task since we had so many photographs to make and I wanted different locations for each one of them. After finding the places, I would arrange the setting for each shooting on the spot with props that I found inside the house.
HISTORY CORNER \\
The first settlers in the area of Nea Vyssa are thought to have been the Thracians. The town was later conquered by the Persians and then by Alexander the Great. After Alexander's death, his empire was divided among his generals, with Nea Vyssa falling under the control of Lysimachus. The town later came under Roman rule and was destroyed by barbarian invasions in the 3rd century AD. It was rebuilt and flourished during Byzantine times before being captured by Bulgarian tsar Simeon I in 917. The Bulgarians held it until 1185 when it regained its autonomy under Constantinople's rule once again. In 1361, it fell to Ottoman Turks who renamed it Bursaköy; they held onto power until 1912 when Greek troops liberated it during the First Balkan War.
At nightfall, after each shooting, exhausted and hungry, we would all convene at a local tavern to have some dinner. I am just bringing this up to take the opportunity and speak about the veal souvlaki, a local traditional delicacy that is truly heavenly. You can try this at the local taverns of Nea Vyssa and I am sure you will enjoy it! That allowed us to further bond and become friends with the people there. It made the whole experience much more enjoyable.
On the day of the next shooting, we repeated the location-scouting process and found more houses that could host our photography. I was looking for houses that kept their traditional character with as less interventions as possible. These are the settings of my preference for the Caryatis project. That is because, apart from the garments, the tradition in Greece also dictates the concept of property. What we use does not make us its owners. This fact can shed light on the reluctance to sell ancestral property or fortune. A house that was inherited by our parents, maybe ours for now, but it won’t be ours forever. Instead, we are impelled to keep it safe and sound and pass it on to the next generation.
