A fragrance expert and his team have recreated a special perfume, inspired by Emperor Nero. They will feature this unique scent at the İzmir Culture Road Festival from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3.
Alongside it, there will be other historical perfumes on display. This will give visitors a chance to experience different scents from the past.
Perfume designer revives scents from history
Perfume designer Bihter Türkan Ergül is famous for bringing the scents of historical figures back to life, from the ancient Sumerians to Hürrem Sultan, wife of the Ottoman ruler Süleyman the Magnificent.
Her latest creation centers on recreating the scent linked to the notorious Roman Emperor Nero. This rose-based Nero perfume will be part of the İzmir Culture Road Festival, where visitors can discover perfumes inspired by different periods and civilizations.
Ergül’s passion for preserving history shines through her detailed research. She explores ancient writings and artifacts to accurately recreate fragrances from the past.
“It is among the information that has survived from history that Emperor Nero, who made history by burning Rome, was a fragrance enthusiast and therefore had incense burned in the censer,” Ergül explained. Moreover, to capture Roman-era scents, her team studied remnants and traces from that time.
“According to the information we found in the records, Nero’s favorite scent was rose. Rose is followed by saffron flower, quince flower, Indian hyacinth and myrrh safi. We are designing Nero’s fragrance by evaluating this information.”
The Roman Empire’s love for perfume
The team also analyzed sediment from Roman-era remains to uncover the original makeup of these ancient Emperor Nero’s perfumes.
According to Ergül’s research, Emperor Nero used to have his servants apply specially crafted scents to his body daily. “In Nero’s palace, there were even special servants to rub scented oils on his animals,” she added.
In the first century B.C., the Roman Empire’s vast trade networks made scented oils more widely available, leading to a rise in the popularity of perfumes.
“During this period, the most sought-after scent was called ‘rhodium’. This mixture, carefully prepared from selected roses, is associated with the reign of Emperor Nero, said Ergül. She further added, “Another fragrance made from Roman roses was ‘foliatum.’ This mixture was a lighter scent than rhodium.”
Rare fragrances from different civilizations
The exhibition will also showcase scents from various other civilizations, including the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, all of whom played a vital role in the development of fragrance-making.
Moreover, the Sumerians were famous for their use of saffron and rose, while the Assyrians favored lily perfumes, which were central to their royal customs.
