Turban
A turban (from
A keski is a type of turban, 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).[3]
Wearing turbans is common among
Styles and Wrapping Techniques: 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 B.C.
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Late fourth century Byzantine woman, wearing a phakeolis
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14th century Byzantine,Chora Church, while wearing a striped turban
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16th century, Suleiman I, wearing the Ottoman imperial turban, known as kavuk (tr)
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SultanSomali Isaaq Sultanate, wearing a turban
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16th centurysultan of the Ottoman Empire Selim IIwearing the Ottoman imperial turban, known as kavuk
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Maharaja Ranjit Singh, founder of the Sikh Empire, wearing a decorated turban (1830).
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Somali Warsangaliclan wearing a turban, 1905
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Pythagoras of Samoswearing a turban, 2nd–1st century BC
National styles
Contemporary turbans come in many shapes, sizes and colours. Turban wearers in North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, and Philippines (Sulu) usually wind it anew for each wearing, using long strips of cloth. The cloth is usually under five meters in length. Some elaborate South Asian turbans may also be permanently formed and sewn to a foundation. Turbans can be very large or quite modest depending upon region, culture, and religion.[citation needed]
East Africa
Turbans are commonly worn in East Africa by Muslim clerics, as well as
Among
Arabian Peninsula
In most countries of the
Afghanistan
Turbans are part of the national dress in Afghanistan. In the Uruzgan Province, male government employees are required to wear the Imama. [13] 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.[citation needed]
Navy blue is a color common more to the Sikh Nihangs, it signifies war and service, while black is associated with resistance, orange with sacrifice and martyrdom, and white with wisdom, old age, death, or peace; however during times of peace, or rallies for peace, people will usually be in war gear, blue. It is also traditionally worn by members of the Taliban.[citation needed]
Bangladesh
In
Myanmar
In Myanmar, the turban is referred to as a gaung baung. There are several regional styles worn.[citation needed]
Malaysia
In Malaysia, the serban is used to refer to both the Sikh gear and those worn by certain Muslim clerics.[citation needed]
India
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.[16]
In Rajasthan state of India these turbans, 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 is usually around 9 to 11 meters long, while the Pagri can be about 21 meters. Some of the most popular turbans in Rajasthan includes Jodhpuri safa.[17][18]
Indonesia
In Indonesia, the turban-styled headdress for men is traditionally called iket (from Javanese and Sundanese language). It literally means 'to tie', the main way to attach the fabric over the head of the wearer. It is made of a square or rectangular batik cloth that is folded diagonally to form a triangle. Although there are different ways of folding and tying the fabric over the head, and therefore different shapes of iket, they can in general show the social level of the wearer and the area of origin. Its origin is not yet clearly identified, however many sources[citation needed] seemed to conclude that the Javanese might be influenced by turban-wearing Gujarati traders who came to Indonesia more than 500 years ago.
In other parts of Java, for practicality the iket has developed into fixed-form headdresses, called blangkon in Central Java and Yogyakarta and bendo in West Java. In East Java and Bali, the headdress is still made in traditional way and it is called udeng. The batik cloth is made stiff through a process of molding, attaching to stiff paper, and sewing. Similar to iket, blangkon and bendo come with some variations of shapes based on the areas of origin and the wearer's social rank.
Nepal
The turban in Nepal is commonly worn in rural areas by males. The rural turban is called either a
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the turban is in widespread use, especially among the rural population. It is worn in different styles and colours across the country, varying by region, e.g. in the north of the country, black and white turbans are preferred. The turban most commonly found in Pakistan is white and crestless, and worn commonly in the Pashtun belt, while in rural Punjab and Sindh, it is mostly worn by elders or feudal lords. The turban is called either a pagri or pag by Punjabis, while the Pashtuns and Sindhi's call it patkay/patko.
The Baloch people are famous for their large turbans that are worn with both ends hanging from the sides or as a loop that rests above the chest. These turbans are made with many feet of cloth that are wrapped around a cap and are mostly made with white cloth.
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
Greece
In Greece, specifically the island of Crete, the men traditionally wear a lightly knitted turban known as a sariki.[21][22] 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
Philippines
In the Philippines, the turban has a long history associated with native Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) cultures, and reinforced with significant cultural influences from the rest of Maritime Southeast Asia (especially Java, Borneo and Sumatra), India, Arabia, China, and Persia, through the different epochs of Philippine history.
The most common turban worn by Muslim Filipino women is called the kombong, the traditional style of
For men, the most common turban worn is called a putong, potong or pudong. The putong was historically worn by men of nearly all major ethnolinguisitc groups in the country, such as the
Today, the turban is worn primarily by Muslim Filipino men, especially by Imams and members of the ulama (Islamic scholars), but is also worn by non-Muslim groups too. Among Muslims, the putong can signify the status of its wearer. Muslim men and imams who have been on the Hajj pilgrimage have traditionally opted to wear the keffiyeh as a putong instead. This is usually bought in Saudi Arabia before returning to the Philippines, in order to signify that they are Hajji. This practice has waned in recent years due to younger jihadist militant groups in the south of the country using keffiyeh as signifiers that they are members of the extremist takfiri groups.
The pre-colonial item of clothing is also worn by non-Muslim
In the southern part of the country, in the
, an ornate headscarf worn in a manner similar to a turban or bandana. Larger pis syabit are turban like, whereas smaller pis resemble bandanas. As with the other putong found in the Philippines, the size or visual design of the pis indicates the social-status or caste of its wearer.On some Babuyan islands in the far north of the country, the head of the household wears a white turban, the younger males wear a red turban after their 13th birthday. The three chiefs all wear yellow turbans. It no longer has religious significance and the origin dates back to the end of the Tondo era (circa 900s – 1589). Most Babuyan settlers fled the Philippines in 1589 when Spain began to invade the Philippines. The turban was made from a type of bark cloth but now is made from cotton or silk brought over from the Philippines mainland. The turban style head dress is then cut and wrapped around the head, then tucked in front.
Vietnam
Alongside a variety of hats, turbans were also worn by the majority ethnic
.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
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.[25] They can also be tied together to form a rope in emergency rescue situations.[26] 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
Sikhs do not cut their hair, as a religious observance. The turban protects the hair and keeps it clean. As Sikhs form 1.7% of India's population and 1.5% of Canada's population, their turbans help identify them. When he institutionalized the turban as a part of the Sikh identity, Guru Gobind Singh said, "My Sikh will be recognized among millions".
Turbans were formerly associated with the upper class, and many men in the cultural elite still wear turbans. This distinction between the turban-wearing upper class (Sardars) and commoners promoted segregation and elitism. In order to eliminate the class system associated with turbans, Guru Gobind Singh declared each and every Sikh a Sardar.
Modern Sikh men mainly wear four kinds of turban: Vattan Wali Turban, Amritsar Shahi Turban, Barnala Shahi and Taksali Dumala. The more traditional Turban styles are the Darbara Singh Dummala, Dastar Bunga (the original turban of the Khalsa) and the Puratan Nok Pagg.
The most common turban colors worn by Sikhs are blue, white and black, although other colors are popular as well. Blue and yellow are particularly prestigious and tend to be worn on religious events such as Vaisakhi. Meanings of the turbans are that the white turban means a saintly person leading an exemplary life, and an off-shade color of white means someone is learning in the Sikh religion. The blue turban signifies a mind as broad as the sky with no place for prejudice. The black turban serves as a reminder of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, and represents humility. The Basanti or yellow turbans are associated with the revolutionary movement, Sardar Bhagat Singh also wore a yellow turban for this reason. Royal blue is usually worn by those who are learned in the Sikh religion and are patriotic about their traditions and culture. The colour green signifies farmers. The orange turban means courage and wisdom.[citation needed] The colour Gold symbolizes a sense of calm and healing that helps with anxiety and clearing the mind which significance derives from the Golden temple. Akali Nihang Sikhs decorate their blue turbans or Dumalla by wearing small weapons known as shastars in them. The turban's color may reflect association with a particular group of Sikhs, although none of the popular turban colors are exclusive to any particular group. The preferred color of the Sikh wedding is pink. All shades of this color from magenta to baby pink is used by families for the joyful occasion. Some prefer red, maroon or orange turbans for the weddings, but pink is so far the most popular. Turban colors are generally a matter of personal choice in Sikhism, with many Sikh men choosing colors based on fashion or taste, sometimes to match clothes. There are traditions associated with some colours, for instance orange and black are often worn at political protest rallies whilst red and pink turbans are worn at weddings and other celebratory events.[29][30][31]
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Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committeeof India
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Diljit Dosanjh, an actor, singer, television presenter and social media celebrity
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Harjit Singh Sajjan, the Minister of International Developmentof Canada
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An Orthodox Sikh Nihang with a Dastar Bunga
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Cdt. Sarabjot Anand, OCdt. Sarbjeet Nijher and OCdt. Saajandeep Sarai represent Royal Military College of Canada at Sikh Remembrance Day 2013
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A Sikh Woman with a turban
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Mewa Singh, the man who spearheaded the Ghadar Movement
Christianity
In
The origin of the word akurinu is not clear. It is said by some to come from the Kikuyu question ‘Mukuri-ni’ which translates to ‘who is the redeemer?’. Others say that it comes from the growling sounds made by early adherents to the sect when possessed by the spirit, an act described as gukurina. In his book Facing Mt. Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta states that the akurinu referred to themselves as Arooti(dreamers), people of God.
The akurinu identify Joseph Ng’ang’a as the founder of the sect. It was Ng’ang’a who ascended Mount Kenya (then known as Mount Kirinyaga) with the first four akurinu prophets - Joseph Kanini, Henry Maina, Philip Mukubwa, and Lilian Njeru. It was on this ascension that the akurinu say Njeru was instructed to remove all adornments she had worn, throw them into River Nyamindi, and cover her hair. They also claim to have been instructed by God to lift their hands in the air as they pray. These two practices form an integral part of akurinu religious beliefs today.
Islam
In
In
In Sudan, large white headdresses connote high social status.[citation needed] In India and Pakistan the cap is called a topi. Women of Islam typically do not wear turbans, as it is typically considered part of a man's dress, while women do typically cover their hair as part of hijab.
However, just as some Muslim women wear no headcovering, some modern Muslim women wear a turban style covering. Although it is still not as widely accepted by the more conservative Islamic communities.
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Muslim polymathfrom Spain
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In the Ottoman Empire, Muhammad's numerous descendants formed a kind of nobility with the privilege of wearing green turbans
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Habib Umar bin Hafiz (left) of Yemenwearing a white turban
Judaism
The traditional jewish turban is known as a sudra. When the Jewish High Priest served in the Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem, he wore a head covering called mitznefet מִצְנֶפֶת. This word has been translated as mitre (KJV) or headdress. It was most likely a turban, as the word comes from a root meaning 'to wrap'.
In the Hebrew Bible, the turban worn by the High Priest was much larger than the head coverings of the priests and wound to make a broad, flat-topped shape resembling the blossom of a flower. The head covering of the priests was different, being wound to form a cone, called a migbahat.
The priestly crown (Hebrew tzitz צִיץ "blossom", "flower") was attached to the turban by means of two sets of blue cords: one going over the top of the head and the other around the sides of the head at the level of the ears (Exodus 39:31).
According to the Talmud, the wearing of the turban atoned for the sin of haughtiness on the part of the Children of Israel (B. Zevachim 88b).
The Jews who lived under Arab rule during the Middle Ages, notably in Islamic Spain, wore turbans and headwear not too different from their Muslim counterparts.
Some married Jewish women wear mitpaḥats as an act of modesty.
Mandaeism
Mandaean priests wear white turbans called burzinqa.[37][38]
Hinduism
In Hinduism, many
Rastafari
Members of the
See also
References
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- ^ Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopedia, page 293, Annette Lynch, Mitchell D. Strauss, Rowman & Littlefield
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- New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
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- ^ "Islamic Dress and Head-dress for men". sunnah.org. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
- ^ "SeekersGuidance – Can Anyone Wear a Turban? Are There Styles Specific for Scholars? – Answers". seekersguidance.org. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
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- ^ "ROOTS RASTA RUNWAY". Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
- ^ "BBC – Religions – Rastafari: Bobo Shanti".
External links
- Why Sikhs wear a turban
- Sikh Fortress Turban
- Tutorial on how to make a Turban (Pagri)
- Information on why Sikhs wear Turbans
- Understanding Turbans
- Significance of Turban Infographic
- Largest Turbon of Shivaji Maharaj World Records India
- Body, Dress, and Symbolic Capital: Multifaceted Presentation of PUGREE in Colonial Governance of British India