A turban (from , ; via ) is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with prominent turban-wearing traditions can be found in the South Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, Southeast Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, North Africa, West Africa, East Africa, and amongst some Turkic peoples in Russia.
A keski is a type of turban mainly worn by female Sikhs, with a long piece of cloth roughly half the length of a traditional "single turban", but not cut and sewn to make a double-width "double turban" (or double patti).
Wearing turbans is common among Sikh men (Dastar), and infrequently women. They are also worn by Hindu monks. The headgear also serves as a religious observance, including among Shia Muslims, who regard turban-wearing as ('confirmed tradition'). The turban is also the traditional headdress of Sufi scholars. Muslim men might wear the turban (Imama) during prayer. Additionally, turbans have often been worn by nobility, regardless of religious background.
Turbans come in a variety of styles, and the method of wrapping can vary. Some turbans are simple and functional, while others are elaborate and serve ceremonial or formal purposes. The way a turban is tied can indicate the wearer's social or marital status, religious affiliation, or regional identity. Aside from cultural and religious significance, turbans are also practical headwear. They provide protection from the sun, dust, and wind. In some regions with hot climates, turbans can help keep the head cool.
History The earliest depiction of a turban can be found on a Mesopotamian sculpture dating back to 2350 BCE.Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopedia, page 293, Annette Lynch, Mitchell D. Strauss, Rowman & LittlefieldIndia: The Ancient Past: A History of the Indian Subcontinent from C. 7000 BCE to CE 1200, page 58, Burjor Avari, Routledge A style of turban called a phakeolis continued to be worn in that region by soldiers of the Byzantine army in the period 400–600, as well as by Byzantine civilians as depicted in Greek frescoes from the 10th century in the province of Cappadocia in modern Turkey, where it was still worn by their Greek-speaking descendants in the early 20th century.
Ancient Persian society contributed significantly to the development of headgear traditions. One prominent example is the qalansuwa, a type of hat worn by elites during the Sasanian Empire, it was adopted by other Islamic caliphates It existed in different forms, including regular and tall versions, with the taller style often associated with court ceremonies and displays of rank.
The Islamic prophet, Muhammad, who lived 570–632, wore an Imama turban. The style of turban he introduced was a cap with a cloth tied around it; this headwear is known as Imama and was emulated by Muslim kings and scholars throughout history. Shia clerics today wear white turbans unless they are descendants of Muhammad or sayyid, in which case they wear a black turban. Many Muslim men choose to wear green, because it represents paradise, especially among followers of Sufism. In parts of North Africa, where blue is common, the shade of a turban can signify the tribe of the wearer.Hughes, Thomas Patrick. A Dictionary of Islam: Being a Cyclopedia of the Doctrines, Rites, Ceremonies and Customs Together with the Technical and Theological Terms of the Muhammadan Religion. WH Allen & Company, 1895.
National styles
Asia Afghanistan
Turbans are part of the national dress in Afghanistan. In the Uruzgan Province, male government employees are required to wear the Imama. They are used more widely than elsewhere in the Muslim world, and are worn in a wide range of styles and colours. In the country's south-east, turbans are wrapped loosely and largely, whereas in Kabul the garment tends to be smaller and tighter. In traditional Afghan society, a related piece of extra cloth called a patu serves practical purposes, such as for wrapping oneself against the cold, to sit on, to tie up an animal or to carry water in the cap. Different ethnic groups in Afghanistan wear different lungees with different patterns, way of styling it, fabric, stripes, lengths and colouration. Males of all ethnic backgrounds generally avoid wearing bright-coloured turbans that draw attention to oneself and prefer wearing simple colors that are white, off white, gray, dark blue and black.
China In China and its frontiers, turbans were worn, primarily by ethnic minorities with Turkic or Islamic cultural influence.
Indian subcontinent
In India, the turban is referred to as a pagri, meaning the headdress that is worn by men and is manually tied. There are several styles, which are specific to the wearer's region or religion, and they vary in shape, size and colour. For example, the Mysore Peta, the Marathi pheta, and the Puneri Pagadi. The pagri is a symbol of honour and respect everywhere it is worn. It is a common practice to honour important guests by offering them one to wear.
Colours are often chosen to suit the occasion or circumstance: for example saffron, associated with valour or sacrifice (martyrdom), is worn during rallies; white, associated with peace, is worn by elders; and pink, associated with spring, is worn during that season or for marriage ceremonies.In World War II, some soldiers in the Indian Army were required to wear a turban. The Free India Legion also wore turbans.
In the Indian state of Rajasthan a turban, known as pagri or safa, is a traditional headwear that is an integral part of the state's cultural identity. It is typically made from cotton, silk, or a blend of fabrics and can vary in length. The safa (Parna) is usually around long, while the pagri can be about . Some of the most popular turbans in Rajasthan include Jodhpuri safa.
In Bangladesh, the turban is known as pagri, or fagri in Chittagong and Sylhet. The most common colour worn is white, and generally it is the Sufis that wear green turbans. It is also worn by elders in rural areas as a symbol of honour and respect.
The turban in Nepal is commonly worn in rural areas by males. The rural turban is called either a Pagdi or Pheta. It is common among farmers. All types of coloured clothes were used for Pheta. Historically, Gorkhali nobleman used to wear white turban called Shirpau awarded by the King of Nepal. For example; Sardar Ram Krishna Kunwar was awarded with 22 pairs of headgear called Shirpau by the Gorkhali monarch Maharajadhiraj Prithvi Narayan Shah. It was common among aristocrats in other contemporary kingdoms. Rulers and vassal lords also adapted a crest to the white turban.
Europe United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, turbans have been worn by men and women since the sixth century without ever becoming very common. Poet Alexander Pope is sometimes depicted wearing a turban, as were other notable men seen in contemporary paintings and illustrations. The common use of turbans on less formal occasions, among gentlemen at the time, reflects that their heads were closely cropped, or shaved, to allow the wearing of the elaborate wigs that were the fashion in Europe in the century from about 1650 to 1750, and when wigs were off, some kind of head cover was useful. Hence, the turban.
Now that hats are infrequently worn, turbans too are relatively uncommon. They are worn primarily by women of West Indian descent, Karinas. Some women wear them to make a statement of individuality, such as the British social entrepreneur Camila Batmanghelidjh, who usually wore a colourful matching turban and robe.
Albania
In Northern Albania and some regions of Kosovo, particularly among highlanders, men traditionally wear a long, white turban-like cloth known as a shall or shalla. It is over three meters long and is worn from age 7 onwards, then used as a burial shroud after death. It is often worn over the qeleshe (plis), the traditional Albanian felt cap, to protect from the elements. The shall is most commonly worn in the Malësia regions and the Rugova highlands of Kosovo, though it is only seen in traditional folk attire and cultural ceremonies.
Greece In Greece, specifically the island of Crete, the men traditionally wear a lightly knitted turban known as a sariki. The headwrap's name is borrowed from sarık, the Turkish word for turban. Today, it may be more commonly known as a kritiko mandili (Cretan kerchief). It is only found in the folklore Cretan dress and not amongst the population, with the exception of older men in remoter, mountainous villages.
Fiji
iTaukei indigenous chiefs and priests were known to have worn masi (barkcloth) coverings around their head similar to a turban, called an i-sala. However, most of the bulk and shape of the i-sala came from the bushy hair under the cloth.
Armenia
Though not common in daily apparel, turbans are sometimes worn by men ceremonially (often with beards), as a symbol of national identity during celebrations and festivals. However, before Armenia became a Christian nation, turbans were a common part of the daily apparel, just as in other Middle Eastern countries.
Other On the Swahili Coast, turbans were frequently worn by the ruling Omani Sultans of Zanzibar and their retinue.
Tuareg Berbers, and some northern Berbers, Sahrawi, Songhai, Wodaabe, Fulani, and Hausa peoples of North and West Africa wear varieties of turbans. Tuareg Berbers often veil the face to block dust. This Tuareg-Berber turban is known as a tagelmust, and is often blue. The Bedouin tribes in North Africa sometimes wear brown-beige, white or orange turbans. Colombian politician Piedad Cordoba was known to wear turbans (or a similar headgear). Her use of turbans had made her so distinguishable to the point of having earned the nickname "the lady with the turban" in Colombian popular culture.
Kurdish people wear a turban, which they call a jamadani. It is worn in many different ways across Iraqi Kurdistan depending on the style of the locality; e.g. the Barzani Kurds are a tribe which wears the turban in a colour (red and white) and style which is typical of their clan. In most parts of South Kurdistan a black-white pattern is used for Jamadani. Mostly, Kurdish turbans consist of a length of striped cloth known as kolāḡī which is wound around a conical hat; the tassels that border the kolāḡī are allowed to hang down over the face. In modern times, many Kurds use black and white Ghutra and roll them into turbans.
Turbans have also been a type of headwear worn by women in Western countries. The wearing of such turbans by women in Western societies is less common than it was earlier in the 20th century. They are usually sewn to a foundation, so that they can be donned or removed easily. Turbans are also sometimes donned to protect hair or as a headwrap for women following cancer treatments that cause hair loss. They can also be tied together to form a rope in emergency rescue situations. In popular culture, turbans are also sometimes worn as a fashion statement. For example, American rapper Yeat wears turbans often while being photographed and filmed in public. He also has a song titled "Turban".
In religion Sikhism
The Sikh turban, known mainly as the dastar but also the dumalla, is used to show others that they represent the embodiment of Sikh teachings, the love of the Guru and dogma to do good deeds. The Gurus ensured that both men and women are able to wear a turban, which shows another action of equality. Other Purposes of the turban include protecting Sikhs' long unshorn hair and keeping it clean.