The Origin of Belly Dancing

It is still not clear in the history when and where excaly started Belly Dance in the World. The closer scientists and anthropologists could get is that Belly Dance started in the ancient Egypt as part of the local religion around 5.000 years ago.
As far as we know, some kind of dance, similar as belly dancing, was executed inside the templos as part of an Egyptian religion. Only special and selected women would dance to attract fertility for humans, animals and nature. These women was called priestess. In this period the religion was matriarchal beliving the women was real God, because they bleed every month and have babies but do not die. For that reason they believed the women had special powers and an conection with the divine.
Later on, many wars and invasions happened in Egypt and Middle East. Specific in 639AD when the Islamic invasion happened they took the Egyptian dances religions as part of the public intertainment and no more as a pagan religion. From there Egypt was no longer preserving their original anscient religion and became Muslin, an patriarchal religion. From this periodo belly dance was seen as part of intertainment in parties and weddings.
Because of the constant wars in this period many women lost their partners. Some of them could marry again or share a husband with other women, some of them became prostitute and others dancers on the streets. From this belly dance became a business when some women, normally gypsies, would sell their dance or intertain people on the streets and private events to get money.
The street belly dancers would receive loads of coins, and they would attach these coins in their belts to save it. More coins, better dancer! that is what they belived.
The best dancers ware invited to dance in the castles to the kings and rich people. These would give them jewelry like rings, earings, bracelets and necklaces. These jewelries the dancer would save attaching them in the costume. That is why nowadays we still use costumes with loads of crystals and rich sequins.
From 639AD till 1930AD, belly dance became an important public intertainment. It was a way to live for many women in that period.
In that period the belly dance would be freestyle and improvising. With loads of hips and arms moves. The music would come from drums, cymbals, harps and many styles of pipes.