Last month, UNESCO recognized kohl as a generation piece of living history. It’s a move that affirms what communities across the region have long known for decades: Kohl is far more than eyeliner. Rooted in ritual, medicine, spirituality and self-expression, it is a living tradition that has traveled across borders and cultures.
“Archaeological evidence suggests kohl has been used for at least five thousand years, beginning in Ancient Egypt, and including Mesopotamia and the wider Fertile Crescent,” explains Brooklyn-based journalist and author Zahra Hankir, whose book Eyeliner: A Cultural History traces the cosmetic’s deep roots. “Far beyond being an item of mere makeup, it is a cultural artefact that functions not only as adornment but also as a form of protection against the glare of the sun, eye infections, and spiritual and religious harm (including the ‘evil eye’).”
From North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula to Persia and South Asia, kohl spread through trade routes and migration, taking on new forms while retaining its symbolic power. “What’s particularly striking about kohl is its continuity across communities, centuries and cultures: very few cosmetic practices have such a profound transregional history,” Hankir adds.
Traditionally, kohl was made using naturally occurring materials. “Most commonly galena, but also antimony, soot, burnt plants, or even crushed bones or stones, depending on the region,” Hankir says. These ingredients were ground and washed by hand, stored in ornate vessels and applied with slender sticks—often as part of an intimate, almost ceremonial process passed down through generations of women.
In places shaped by displacement and conflict, the traditional act of making and wearing kohl has carried added resonance. “This is especially true in rural areas, among nomadic communities, and in places like Gaza, where the continued making and use of kohl has also functioned as a quiet form of cultural preservation in the face of displacement, siege, and repeated attempts at erasure,” Hankir explains.
Today, kohl occupies a complicated space in global beauty, however. While the term is widely used, much of what is marketed as kohl bears little resemblance to its traditional counterpart. “Many are essentially modern eyeliners…,” Hankir tells me. “Using the term ‘kohl’ as a stylistic or marketing gimmick.” In the process, its ritualistic and cultural dimensions are often lost.
This is precisely why UNESCO’s recognition matters. “UNESCO recognition formally acknowledges kohl as living cultural heritage, while supporting documentation, education, and community-led preservation,” Hankir says. “Naming that context matters, because it resists the flattening of kohl into a generic ‘ethnic’ cosmetic and re-centers the communities that have sustained it.”
For Hamda Makeup, kohl is deeply rooted in her first memories. “I remember watching my mom apply her kohl every day,” she recalls. “She wears it the same way as classic Arabic black kohl, just inside the eyes.” That memory now informs her professional practice. “As a makeup artist, kohl is essential in my kit,” she says.
And while the product may be ancient, the practice—and trending makeup styles—continue to evolve. “I start with a nude eyeshadow palette in earthy tones,” the makeup artist says. “I begin with the lighter shades and gradually build depth. Then, I apply black or brown kohl inside the eyes for that classic Arabic touch. I finish with mascara and lashes, and always pull the eyes out with a winged, cat‑eye effect to make them wide, attractive, and beautifully Arabic.”
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