Everyone thinks that perfumes are something French because of the bathroom and toilet habits in the Middle Ages. Contrary to popular belief, perfumes were not originally invented in France.
The emergence of these fragrant mixtures, which dragged people after them, dates back to much earlier BC. It dates back to 4000’s. Thanks to historical written sources, clay tablets and hieroglyphs, we know that the first perfumes in history were used by ancient civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Romans, Sumerians and Babylonians.
Now let us explain to you the origin of the word perfume, the emergence of perfume, its functions and how it turned into its modern versions:
Where does the name of the perfume come from?
The word perfume, which comes to Turkish from French, means “bottled pleasant smell, fragrant”. The name of the perfume comes from the Latin words “fumum” “smoke, steam” and “per”, meaning “fragrant smoke, rising with smoke”.
The most primitive and first version of the perfume is based on incense obtained by burning tree bark, fragrant plants and various herbs.
“incense”, indispensable for religious ceremonies
The use of incense, which is the first version of perfume, has varied considerably throughout history. The first people to use incense believed that this method cleansed the environment and people.
This method was mostly used in religious ceremonies. Ancient civilizations belonging to polytheistic religions cleaned their sacrifices with incense in order to make them worthy of their gods. Incense was widely used in funeral ceremonies in ancient Egyptian society. It was especially important for the Egyptians that the tombs of the pharaohs smelled pleasant. In ancient times, fragrances were sacred to people and symbolized divinity.
How are perfumes produced and preserved?
Incenses gave way to liquid and solid perfumes carried in bottles made of clay and wood. Perfumes were obtained by various methods. Plant extracts were obtained by pressing various herbs and fragrant plants, and intense essential and fragrant oils were obtained by distillation method. The most familiar way of obtaining perfume was the distillation method. The distillation method was used for the first time in history. It was developed by the Sumerians in the 4000s. They are quite adept at this method.
Chemist, healer and perfumer: Tapputi Belatekallim
The use of incense was also common in the Babylonian period. But technically, the Babylonians developed more stable and efficient methods of perfume production. They have been quite successful in obtaining versions reminiscent of today’s perfumes.
The knowledge that a woman named Tapputi Belatekallim from Babylon, known to be the oldest and first chemist, produced perfume with techniques far beyond her time, was written on clay tablets from the written sources of the period. Tapputi BC He was the official perfume maker of the palace in the 1200s. He made his name in history with the perfume essences he produced for the king of the time, and contributed to the development of the perfume industry with some of the recipes he recorded on clay tablets.
Hellenistic influences in perfumes
The use of perfume was very common in ancient Greek and Roman times. The ancient Greeks transformed perfume from incense to liquid form by mixing plant extracts and oils.
The Romans were influenced by the Hellenic culture before them. They made progress in the perfume industry by trading raw materials from different cultures by using the methods, recipes and raw materials used by the Hellenes. Later, as the economy deteriorated, the trade, production and use of perfumes were interrupted and declined.
Popularization of perfume techniques in Europe
Some of the works written by El Cabir and El Kindi, who are known as important scientists of the Abbasid period, in the field of chemistry, were translated into Latin by the Europeans. These works, which describe perfume making techniques such as distillation and extraction, inspired Europeans to produce perfumes.
Ancestor of perfumes: Hungarian Water
The first perfume “Hungarian Water”, which was prepared by diluting intense essences for the Hungarian Queen Elizabeth, was produced in 1370. Hungarian Water is called the ancestor of modern perfumes produced today.
The fate of perfume was rewritten in the 16th century
In the following periods, Italy became the center of perfume. In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici, the daughter of an Italian noble family, married the king of France at the time. Upon this, Catherine, who settled in France with all her knowledge and her own perfume maker René le Florentin, transformed France into the homeland of both raw material and perfume production and trade.
Ancestor of cologne: Cologne Water
In 1709, JMFarina produced an alcohol-based perfume with citrus and flower essences by her own means. This product, which was launched under the name “Kölnisch Wasser”, meant “Cologne Water”. Thanks to his nephew Giovanni Farina, this product quickly spread and became popular in Europe. Cologne Water, called “Eau de Cologne” in French, became the modern ancestor of the alcohol-based and slightly floral, citrus-based cologne we use today.
Iconic first modern designer perfumes
The first perfume designed in a modern sense is the iconic No 5 perfume of the famous French fashion brand Chanel, produced in 1921. In the following periods, perfumes were produced in different formulas and concentrations. Chanel No 5 brought a breath of fresh air to the perfume industry.
As a result, incense, which is also used in religious ceremonies, funerals, temples, hygiene, cleaning and medical fields, has become a symbol of nobility in the society over time. The perfume industry, which had a significant trade volume in the following periods, preserved its nobility and turned into modern versions, fashion accessories that allow us to get an idea about the styles that are in a way the signature of the people. Perfumes and their derivatives continue to be a commercial sector with a high business volume from past to present.
Today, we told you about the emergence of perfumes and their evolution throughout history. If you want to see similar content, do not forget to tell us in the comments.
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