Perfume History

Perfume History

Perfume history developed in different countries through various cultural influences.

Perfume History: Mesopotamia

Perfume history started in the ancient region of Mesopotamia. The Mesopotamian Tapputi, the first known perfume maker in history, was mentioned in a second millennium BC cuneiform tablet. In ancient civilisation, the burning of incense and aromatic herbs was part of religious practices. The scents given off by frankincense, aromatic gums and myrrh are the world's oldest forms of perfumes. The Latin phrase "per fumum", which literally means "through smoke", is the derivation of the term perfume.

Perfume History: Egypt

Based on perfume history, the first people to incorporate the use of perfume into their everyday cultural activities were the Egyptians. The other early users of perfume include the Arabs, the Carthaginians, the Chinese, the Greeks, the Hindus, the Israelites and the Romans. The ancient Egyptians are also the first people to use perfume bottles. When the ancient Egyptians invented glass around 1000 BC, they used their invention to contain perfumes.

Perfume History: Cyprus

The Eurasian island of Cyprus is the location of the oldest perfumery in perfume history. The perfumery, which is said to have existed during the Bronze Age, was discovered by a team of Italian archaeologists around 2004 to 2005. Some of the remaining artifacts from this ancient perfumery are currently displayed in Rome.

Perfume History: Islam

The Islamic culture played a significant role in perfume history. The Muslims can be credited with the art of perfecting fragrance extraction via steam distillation. Perfume history also acknowledges the influence of Islamic cultures on the use of raw ingredients such as herbals and spices for the preparation of perfumes. The utilisation of distillation technologies and the use of raw ingredients are some of the bases for the development of modern perfumery.