Introduction To Middle Eastern Turbans

By Erna Gutierrez


Many men wrap a slender long cloth around their head to cover it. This cloth can stretch and that makes it a special fabric. The length of the fabric can vary from five meters to nine. The quality of the turban is based on the material from which it is made. Typical materials used are silk or fine muslin and cotton. Some headgears are also made from synthetic material. The cloth is usually folded round the head and a chinstrap holds it up. However, the method of winding causes a tension, which is enough for holding the headgear. Middle eastern turbans represent many customs, religious beliefs and cultures of the wearer.

The environment and events around the wearer influences the style of wearing of turbans. Mournings or condolences require wearing of pain and muted colors by most attendees. Within a tribe or a society, rank or the religious affiliation of a wearer is shown by the use of color. The regional influence is seen in different wrap styles. Some may have shiny fabrics for embellishing wedding wraps and even embed jewels.

The Keffiyeh and the Amaman are two of the popular headgears that people wear in most Middle Eastern countries. Both of them are for the same purpose, but differ in the material and the tying techniques. The Keffiyeh is more helpful in keeping the wearer comfortable by protecting the head from the sun. Popular colors are white, green and black.

Women of this region also wear a headgear known as hijab and this functions the same as a male turban. Women going to weddings, parties and special occasions wear the head gears. In the Islamic religion, women must cover their heads in public.

In the desert climates, turbans are used to protect the face and mouth from dust particles. Nomads of the desert use these to cover and mask their faces. At nights, the headgear doubles up as a shawl to keep the shoulders of the wearer warm from the cold of the desert. It is also used to mask or disguise the face.

The turban can serve like a pillow for a weary traveler to support his head. One may even use it to lower a bucket to bring up water from within a well. The unclean water can then be strained and made fit for drinking. The fabric has been used as a weapon by warriors earlier.

Turban wearing Muslims defend the practice by claiming that their prophet Muhammad also wore a head wrap with a green or white color. They emulate this messenger of God and follow his method of wrapping their head. Different colors or designs denote the position or stature of the wearer in the Muslim societies. Most men can wear head wrapping in different styles.

Many who claim to be direct descendants of prophet Muhammad, like their headgears in the color black. Religious scholars and leaders prefer to wear white. Middle eastern turbans in black color is preferred by war tribes like the Taliban group.




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