Dec 31, 2015 Libya recently held a three-day international exhibition for locally made crafts and costumes, as the country strives to encourage their export abroad.
On display were dozens of hand-made Libyan dresses and traditional clothing, as well as jewelry, pottery and brass items.
One of the main attractions at the exhibition was the Libyan wedding dress section, which featured a variety of colors and designs, each made specifically for the different stages of the ceremony.
Highlighting the various wedding dresses, Zahra Ibrahim, one of the exhibitors said:
“This is the traditional Libyan dress women wear on their wedding day, and there’s not just one style there are several. One for example especially for the Henna day, one for the actual wedding day,”
Another major attraction was an exhibit on horse-riding accessories. The section showcased elaborate decorations of gold and burgundy tassels along with embroidered saddles.
Commenting on this section, Ahmed Iqzeira, one of the participants at the exhibitions said:
“This (horse-back riding) is becoming an increasingly popular hobby among the youth and proof of that is the high attendance, curiosity and opinions of the people at this exhibition. This all has to do with our past, and of course our past is tied to our present and our present with our future,”
Although the event was essentially designed to showcase Libyan handcrafts, one section was dedicated to Tunisian pottery, which displayed a wide variety of colorful jugs, plates and pots.
Kamal Baqaar, a Tunisian exhibitor highlighted this section saying:
“We have been really welcomed by the Libyan people, participation has been very good and interest has been very high. There is a lot of love between Tunisians and Libyans. We have been welcomed by the Libyans because we’re Tunisians and vice versa. The event and participation have been a success,”