Thursday, February 7, 2013

Basic Facts Regarding Middle Eastern Turbans

By Brittney Swanson


A turban is a long and slender piece of fabric used by men to cover their head. The length ranges between 5 to 9 metres and the most commonly used materials are synthetics, silk, cotton and fine muslin. It is wrapped around the head and is held on by its own gravity, tension or by use of a chinstrap. The Middle Eastern turbans are associated with religion, customs and culture.

The various turban styles available are adopted based on the event at hand. Times of grief require one to wear turbans that are plain and muted in color. There those designed specifically to be worn during various occasions to reveal the social rank of an individual his religious beliefs and values and so on. Turbans for weddings are usually embellished with attractive jewels and decorations to celebrate the joyous occurrence.

There are two main types of turbans worn by men in the Middle East which are Amamah and Keffiyeh. These two serve the same purpose but differ in the mode of tying and the materials they are made of. The keffiyeh is a piece of fabric tied around the head to keep the head cool from extreme temperatures. The most common colors are black, white and green.

The turban hijab is an equivalent of the wraps worn by men in this region. It is worn by women to weddings, parties and special occasions. It is popularly used by ladies in various parts of the world to cover their heads fashionably in cases of hair loss. It is a requirement in Islam for women to cover their heads.

They are used as shawls to block or disguise the face. Unwrapped turbans warm the shoulders and are usually returned to the head when daytime temperatures change. The end of this piece cloth is sometimes wrapped around the face to prevent dust from entering the mouth. The Middle Eastern people living in deserts use them as protective clothing from dust and nomadic tribes use them as disguises.

Unwrapped turbans are easily made into makeshift pillows by tired travelers in the desert. It is also slung across the back and used to carry bundles. Most of the people in the Middle East get their water from wells. They use these items to lower buckets into the wells and to strain water for drinking. They were used in the past as weapons to strangle adversaries.

The men who wear a turban in this Islamic region believe that Prophet Muhammad always wore black or white headgears. They therefore wear them to emulate this messenger of God. The wraps are in many designs and colors and indicate the various social classes and sects in the region. Learning the different styles of tying this head gear is very important and every one of them is required to be accustomed with all the possible techniques.

The leaders and Scholars in the Islamic religion are seen to wear white wraps. Black Middle Eastern turbans are associated with those believed to have a direct ancestry with Prophet Muhammad. The Taliban group based in the Middle East is known for their black wraps. Each of the different Islamic regions in the Middle East has unique wraps associated with them. Libya, Sudan and Egypt prefer white wraps while those in Saudi Arabia have a preference for green ones.




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