According to the Egyptian author and folklorist Mahmoud Reda, the belly dancer was created by the first people of Egyptian origin in ancient times as sacred dance to honour Hathor, the goddess of love, beauty, joy and dance, and later adopted as cultural dances performed by people both at weddings, parties, and other happy events.
The modern form of belly dance, characterized by its focus on the dancer's midsection and sensual hip and abdominal movements, is believed to have developed during the 18th and 19th centuries.