Clothing Glossary for the Middle East
and the Maghrib

The following are clothing related terms from the sources I used to create this section on Middle Eastern dress. Where possible multiple references have been consolidated. It is possible that the same word can refer to different items in different regions or time periods (think of the differences in meaning between British and American English). It is also possible that the sources got things wrong.

A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . references

The terms are transliterated (from Arabic, Farsi, Turkish and Berber languages) and little attempt has been made to standardize them (unless the original Arabic is known to check them against). As a result the short vowels have been transliterated differently by different authors. Some words are also transliterated as heard - often within a specific dialect. If the word you are interested in is not listed try the following:

Can't find: Try: a e, i, o c ch k sh, tc, ts dj g, k e a, i, o, y g gh dj, gh, j, k g i a, e, y j g, k, dj k c, g, j, dj, kh, q m n

Can't find: Try: n m o a, e, i s sh sh, ts ch, s, tc t tc th ts s, th c, ch, sh s, t s w au, o, u u w y e, i

A	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
aba		long rectangular cloak or mantle with square set sleeves Tilke secured with a hijam Britannica worn by people of rank as opposed to the peasant's shorter coat Eid (see mashla) sleeveless coat - women may pull over their heads National Geographic also used as a blanket Anawalt aba photos
abaaya, abayeh, abaya		Same as gallibaya (Lebanon) Eid Otherwise see aba. Tilke, Britannica, Parker, Kennet, Anawalt, Wehr
Afghan burqa		veil which covers the whole of a woman's body including the eyes which are covered with a mesh screen Al-Muhajabah Sometimes (incorrectly) called a chador
agal Britannica	Arabia	same as ogal
aigrette	Turkey	plumes adorning turban Britannica
akhnif	Morocco	early form of burnous - semicircular cloak with a hood Parker
anteri	Ottoman	woman's long gown Britannica
`araqiyeh Weir	Palestine	see taqiyeh
asayib	Emirates	circlet for burga Kennet
`asbeh	Palestine	a woman's rolled and folded headband worn over a hattah or zurband Weir
asyut, assiut, asuit	Egypt, Levant	see tulle bi telli
awra		that part of the body that should be hidden from all but a person's spouse; for men, navel to knee; for women, upper chest to knee Al-Muhajabah
B	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
bedleh		literally "suit" or "uniform" used to describe the belly dance costume of bra, belt and skirt
begha	Tunisia	shoes Tilke
binish	Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Asia Minor, and Turkey	front opening coat with wide sleeves of scholars and priests worn over the kaftan Tilke
bisht Parker	Arabia	men's (dressy) cloak
boushiya		women's sheer veil tied onto the forehead with no eye holes Al-Muhajabah
buknuk		women's circular veil with hole for the face and falling to the bosom ie a short khimar Al-Muhajabah
burnoose, burnous	maghrib	unisex semi-circular wrapped cloak with tasselled hood and embroidery Tilke worn by the wealthy - (cf selham). Men only wear hood in bad weather. Women use hood as veil. The hood is also used to hold stuff - like a pocket. Parker burnous photos
bur'a	Egypt	women's long narrow face veil ie an Egyptian burqa
burga Kennet burqa Parker		1: women's face veil - sometimes held in place with asayib Kennet 2: Also sometimes refers to a full body cover - see Afghan burqa
bzima Parker	maghrib	see fibula
C	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
carsaf Britannica		see chador
caftan Britannica		see kaftan
chador, chadar		women's enveloping garment/cloak Britannica Sometimes incorrectly used to refer to a cloak which covers the eyes with a mesh panel - see Afghan burqa
chadri Britannica		see chador
chalvar, chalwar Britannica, Parker	India, Africa	see shalvar
checheya Raafat	Turkey	see tarbush
D	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
darrah	Kuwait	dress
darrah zerri	Kuwait	see thobe al-na`ish
dfina,dfinna Morocco, Eriksen	Morocco	Women's overcoat or kaftan
dishdasha dishdashah Anawalt	Algerian	long shirt like garment. Similar to Tunisian jellabah, Syrian jubbeh, Egyptian gallibaya Britannica Anawalt also links it to Oman
dislik	Ottoman	drawers tied at waist Britannica
djebba	maghrib	square, pullover tunic worn by men - also see gamis. Also known as jebba. Tilke, Parker djebba photos
djebba habayah	Algeria	tunic underclothing Tilke
djellabia djellaba	Morocco	hooded outer robe Tilke
djubbeh	Ottoman	front opening coat with complicated cut and narrow sleeves worn over the kaftan Tilke
dulband	Iran	Persian for turban Britannica, Sanders
dura`ah	Palestine	Women's plain short sleeved front opening coat worn as the main body garment in the north (around Nazareth & Galilee) Also see jillayeh Weir
E	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
egal Britannica	Arabia	same as ogal
elbas	Palestine	see shalvar Weir
entari	Turkey	see kaftan Tilke
eri	Egypt	man's woolen shirt Tilke
F	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
faltita	Morocco	woman's full skirt - worn over draped rectangular garments worn over sleeved shift Parker
fanilla	Oman	men's sash Kennet
farasia Tilke	Morocco	long shirt like garment with wide sleeves and buttoned over chest - often belted and made from light fabric. Also known as a kaftan Tilke
farwah	Arabia	thick sheep wool overcoat (rural Southern Arabia and highlands) Kennet
fez	Maghrib	see tarbush
fibula Parker		pins used to hold back and front rectangles of melia together at shoulder. (Called bzima in maghrib)
firmia	Algeria, Tunisia	vest also known as sedria or ssedria Tilke
fouta	Algeria	striped loin cloth (see futah) Tafsout
futah	Yemen	unisex wrap around calf length skirt Anawalt
futtan	Palestine	women's dress from Damascus decorated with silver and gold thread National Geographic
G	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
galabia, gallibaya, gallabiya	Egypt Bedouin Parker	long shirt like garment Tilke full length with wide long sleeves; skirt may be slit up sides; some styles open at front. similar to Tunisian jellabah, Syrian jubbeh, Algerian dishdasha Britannica
gamis, gamisa	Morocco & maghrib	djebba with sleeves. Also known as kamis - from kumm (sleeve), kamma to provide with sleeves Tilke
gandura Tilke	Tunisia	men's short full sleeveless over garment gandura photos
gasabia	Tunisia	narrow version of a burnoose worn by the working class. Also known as kasabia Tilke
gedjalyk	Caucasus	jacket Tilke
ghandoura Parker	Morocco	see gandura
ghlila	Tunisia	jacket Tilke
ghoutra ghutra Wehr		rectangular cloth worn over the skullcap as a head dress Kennet usually white, sometimes checked in red and white or black and white Also known as a kefijeh - although some sources use this to refer to the skullcap.
ghudfeh	Palestine	women's festive embroidered veils - similar to khirqah or tarbi`ahWeir
gibbeh Tilke	Egypt	see djubbeh
görnlek	Ottoman	women's knee length sleeved chemise Britannica
gumbaz	Lebanon	crossed dress slit up front worn by people of rank; women's also slitted on sides Eid
H	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
habayah	Algeria	also known as djebba Tilke
handira Parker	Morocco (Berber)	rectangular blanket like shawl
harem pants		see pantaloons
hatta National Geographic hattah Weir	Bedouin Palestine	a scarf - roughly square worn as either a headscarf or a baggish head covering by unmarried women or folded like a band - `asbeh - by married women. men as well Weir
haik	maghrib	(urban) women's sheer draped over garment Parker rectangle about 6m x 2m Britannica
hijab		generally a Muslim women's modest dress or more specifically either any headscarf (khimar) or a square of fabric folded into a triangle then placed over the head and fastened under the chin Al-Muhajabah
hijam	Iraq	sash or belt for aba; a cummerbund Britannica
hizan	Egypt	sash or belt for kaftan Tilke
I	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
igal, iqaal Britannica igaal Kennet `iqal Wehr	Arabia	(camel hair) corded band that holds the headwear (kufiya) in place. (Also the cord that hobbles a camel) Also transliterated agal, egal, ogal
ihram Kennet	Arabic	Arabic for turban ie folded/wrapped head dress
`imamah Britannica `imma Wehr imma Discover	Arabic	Arabic for turban ie folded/wrapped head dress
ikanaf Parker	Morocco	see akhnif
izar Parker	Morocco-Syria	wrapped garment (length twice height of wearer) worn over dress with sleeves. Wrapping: once around as skirt held with sash then over the head
J	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
jambiya	Oman	see khanjor
jebba Parker	Morocco	see djebba
jellabah	Tunisia	similar to Syrian jubbeh, Algerian dishdasha, Egyptian gallibaya Britannica
jilbab		long coatlike outter garment Wehr
jillayeh	Palestine	Women's heavily ornamented body garement - either a short sleeved front opening coat in the north (around Nazareth & Galilee) or a dress in the south. Also see dura`ah Weir
jubba Wehr jubbah Britannica jubbe Eid jubbeh Anawalt, Britannica	Egypt Lebanon Palestine Syria	unisex long coat open at front - sleeves can be long or short, narrow or wide Anawalt short sleeved coat for women in winter worn over gumbaz; front opening and light side slit Eid long wide sleeved gown (worn by `ulama) to feet buttoned half way down over stripped caftan Britannica similar to Tunisian jellabah, Algerian dishdasha, Egyptian gallibaya Britannica
K	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
kaffiya kaffiyeh Britannica	Arabia	see kufiya
kaftan kuftan	Morocco Egypt Tilke	shirt-dress with wide sleeves buttoned over the chest worn with a sash (hizan) over vest, shirt and trousers Tilke open in front often bound by sash Britannica - based on Persian front opening coat (with exaggerated sleeves for ruling classes Parker unisex with ample cut Anawalt Tilke also refers to the farasia as a "kaftan" despite it only opening partially down the front.
kalabia Tilke	Egypt	see galabia
kalansuwa Sanders	Yeman	concial hat under the turban
kamis	maghrib Egypt	see gamis. Wide shirt worn by Fellahin Tilke from kumm (sleeve), kamma to provide with sleeves Tilke
kandura Tilke	Tunisia	see gandura.
kanis	Yemen	women's shirt Tilke
kasabia Tilke	Tunisia	see gasabia.
kefijeh Tilke	Arabia	see kufiya
khaleegi thobe	Gulf States	see thobe al-na`ish ("khaleegi" means of the Gulf)
khanja khanjor	Oman	men's curved knife also known as jambiya Anawalt (also see kumia)
khimar		women's head and face veil Wehr either how the Quran refers to a women's headscarf in general or specifically, a circular headcovering with a hole cut for the face reaching the waist (also see buknuk and chador) Al-Muhajabah
khirqah	Palestine	women's festive embroidered veils - similar to tarbi`ah or ghudfehWeir
kibr National Geographic	Bedouin	striped overcoat open down front with belt and/or shoulder straps
kofia Tilke	Arabia	see kefijeh.
koubrane	Lebanon	men's embroidered bolero Eid
kubb`ah Weir	Palestine	see libbadeh
kumm		sleeve (pl. akmam, kimama). kamma (v) to provide with sleeves Wehr
kufeya Discover kufiya Wehr	Arabia	Either square cloth used as headwear (sometimes with tassels along edge) folded into a triangle and held in place by an `iqal Tilke, Wehr (the cloth is also known as a ghoutra) or the underlying skullcap (taqiyah ) Anawalt Plural is keffiyeh Wehr
kumia	Morocco	curved dagger - also see medshul Tilke
kusak	Ottoman	(unisex) sash or belt Britannica
kutiyah Anawalt	Arabia	skullcap - see kefijeh.
L	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
laffeh	Palestine	stripped or checked turban with fringe worn over (and showing) tarbush Weir
libbadeh	Palestine	felt cap worn by village men (also known as kubb`ah) Weir
M	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
malas	Palestine	a satin hood worn by girls approaching marriageable age Weir
mandil	Egypt	women's headscarf often edged with pom-poms. Here is how to make a mandil for dance.
madas	Arabia	men's sandals. Also known as na`al Discover
masar Keohane	Oman	men's (traditionally woollen Kashmiri) scarves wound like a turban.
mashla Tilke	Syria	overcoat like an aba, but tighter, shorter and with short sleeves, worn by men over their kaftan or women over their shirt Tilke Also see mishlah
medshul	Morocco	woven woollen cords used to suspend weapons - also see kumia Tilke
melaya luf milaya lef	Egypt	urban women's wrapped outer garment milaya photos used in performing a theatrical tableau
melehfa Tafsout melia	Algeria Tunisia	unisex wrapped no sew garment wrapped left to right starting at back. First wrap plus pins with fibula and creates blouse; belted at waist. A gamis is worn underneath. Parker, Tafsout
milfa	Arabia	half veil Kennet also see shambar
mishlah Kennet	Arabia	see bisht Discover
N	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
na`al Discover	Arabia	see madas
neqleh	Palestine	the embroidered panel on a southern Palestinian village woman's shambar Weir
niqam		a means of veiling a woman's face; "full niqab" - veil tied on the forehead with eyeholes "half niqab" - veil that covers only the lower face Al-Muhajabah
O	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
ogal Tilke	Arabia	see `iqal
omasa	Arabia	bride's red thobe with sleeves & bodice with indian gold embroidery Kennet
P	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
pantaloons		English term for common undergarments for men and women. Generally they are very full at the waist and gathered by a drawstring. Variations include low crutch, high crutch and the Persian version which narrows from the knees. The distal end can be gathered or cuffed. Sometimes the length is very long and the ends are either gathered on the calf with excess fabric falling to the ankles or pleated vertically. See potur, shalvar, shintijan, sorouelles Here is how to make a Westernized version for dance.
phecy Raafat	Turkey	see tarbush
potur	Egypt, Levant, Turkey	wide men's trousers with extension pieces cut like gaiters which can be fitted close to leg by buttoningTilke
Q	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
qabbeh	Palestine	Embroidered chest panel for women's dress Weir
qalansuwah Britannica qalansuwa Wehr	Egypt	collapisable cap of red felt under imamah with blue tassel Britannica tall headgear, hood, cap Wehr
qalansiya Wehr		see qalansuwah
qashani	Iran	Kurdish robe Anawalt
qashqai	Iran	Kurdish man's felt cap Anawalt
qumbaz	Palestine	unisex ankle length cloak with right side held under left arm and worn in place of abayeh. Men's qumbaz has short or no side slit; women's has long side slits Anawalt
qun`ah	Palestine	long, flowing black or blue veil of southern Bedouin women Weir
qunbaz	Syria	men's long, sleeved open fronted garment Wehr
R	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
redan National Geographic	Bedouin	worn by non-manual workers with kimono shaped sleeves to ground
S	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
saffeh	Palestine	arch of silver and gold coins worn over the smadeh Weir
salvar Britannica salwar Parker		see shalvar
sarband Sanders	Iran	(also known as dulband) see turban
sarik Sanders	Turkey	see turban
sebleh	Egypt and the Levant	women's tob Tilke
sedria	Maghrib, Egypt	vest also known as firmia or ssedria (buttoned version right worn under a kaftan)
selham Parker sulham Tilke	Morocco, Tunisia	men's very full sleeveless cloak with hood with silk pom poms (similar to burnoose)
shaal Kennet		cloth used to create a turban
shalvar	Arabian Peninsula, Syria, Iran, India, Africa	(unisex) loose trousers (worn as under garment) Tilke 3m across waist; tied waist and ankle Britannica loose trousers - ankle length for princes and women, knee or calf for peasants Eid with low crutch (cf sorouelles); ends often decorated Parker Also known as chalvar, chalwar, salvar, salwar, shintijan, shintyan, shirwal In Turkey they are known as tshaivar Also see pantaloons
shambar shinbar, shunbar	Palestine	either a Bedouin women's veil in shape of a tube which fills the neck opening of the dress. Also called milfa` or a black festive veil from southern Palestine with an embroidered panel (naqleh), fringe and tassels Weir
shas Kennet	Levant	see yashmak
shash	Palestine	long, flowing white veil of southern village women Weir
shatweh	Palestine	women's tarbush shaped headdress decorated with silver and gold coins from Bethlehem Weir
shawal Kennet	Palestine	women's tunic dress - flared and panelled with cross stitch
shemagh		see ghoutra
shintijan Tilke shintyan Parker	Egypt & Levant Syria	wide women's trousers tied at waist and below knee with the extra length falling to ankles. Also known as tshaivar in TurkeyTilke Also see pantaloons
shirwal	Lebanon	see shalvar
shirsh Parker	Syria	women's sleeved shift with generous fit obtained by triangular fill (instead of open seams)
shishia	Morocco, Tunisia	cap - rounder in Tunisia, more pointed in Morocco Tilke
shumagh	Arabia	see ghoutra
sirwaal Parker, Kennet sirwal Weir	Lebanon, Arabia Palestine	see shalvar
skullcap		see taqiyeh
smadeh	Palestine	women's bonnet decorated with silver and gold coins Weir
ssedria	Algeria, Tunisia	vest also known as firmia Tilke
sserual	Magreb and Egypt	trousers Tilke
sub	Yemen	women's white pleated shirt Tilke [shirt not skirt - Kashmir]
sorouelles	Turkey	pull on pants (under garment) wth a higher crutch than shalvar Parker
sulham Tilke	Morocco, Tunisia	see selham
T	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
tannur, tanoura		dervish skirt Britannica . Also the entertainment version of whirling wearing the skirts as seen in Egypt
tantour	Lebanon	cone shaped hearwear for women used to support veil Eid
taqiyah taqiyeh Weir	Arabia Palestine	skullcap - worn by both sexes Discover, Weir
taqshita, takchita Eriksen	Morocco	Traditional urban women's ensemble - dfina, kaftan, shalvar
tarbi`ah	Palestine	women's festive embroidered veils - similar to khirqah or ghudfehWeir
tarbouche	Lebanon	truncated cone to support a turban Eid see tarbush
tarboosh Britannica Raafat	Ottoman Egypt	see tarbush Egypt 1820-1952 only
tarbush	Syria Palestine	hard cap of red felt under imamah Britannica tarbush maghribi - soft version with tassel on crown worn by village men in Palestine - pre 1930s Weir tarbush istambuli - hard version worn by Palestinian townsmen and upperclasses Weir From "sar" - head and "poosh" - cover. Raafat Also known as checheya, Fez and phecy
tcharchaf Britannica	Ottoman	see chador
thaub Wehr		see thobe
thawb Kennet, Discover		see thobe
thob Parker	Egypt (Syria) Bedouin	garment worn over gallibaya very long dress with long triangular sleeves used for carrying stuff
thob'ob Keohane	Bedouin	very long thob - up to 3m from shoulder to hem - the skirt of which has a fold ('ob) and tucked into the belt. That is a double dress. Here is a photo of a thob'ob from 1937. And here is a clip of a women wrapping a tob'ob from the 1920s.
thobe		general Arabic term for clothing, garment, dress or robe. Differing dialects pronounce the "th" as "t" or "s". Also see tob, thob, sub
thobe al-na`ish thobe el-neshel thobe nashaal	Gulf States	an ornate women's robe used in the "hair tossing dance" Also known as darrah zerri (sequined dress) and thobe tawoose (peacock dress) Also see tob Here is how to make a version for stage.
tob Tilke, National Geographic	Egypt and the Levant Bedouin	1: Women's wide dress with ornamentation around neck and breast slit. Also know as sebleh. Tilke 2: Bedouin - men's long white ankle length garment worn under a kibr, or women's blue dress - decorated with light blue bands and/or seams National Geographic 3: Palestine - men's thobe narrower than Egyptian galibaya; women's thobe is loose, collarless, with embroidered yoke and sides plus girdle at waist Anawalt
tshaivar	Turkey	straight trousers Tilke
tshalvar Tilke	Turkey	see shintijan
tshepks	Syria, Kurdistan	short under jackets Tilke
tulle bi telli	Egypt, Levant	flax based net with metallic embroidery. Well known examples were made in Asyut, Egypt which let to it being known as "asyut"
turban		long scarf wound over head or inner hat. Depending on country and social status wrapping style and length varies (can up to 45m long). Muslim versions have forehead bare so skin can touch ground when praying Britannica The cloth is known as shaal, the result imma or ihram.
W	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
wuqa, wuqayeh	Palestine	simple rectangular fabric bonnet sometimes with a few coins worn by women and girls approaching marriageable age Weir
Y	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
yelek	Egypt	women's flowered kaftan open at the neck to the breast then fitted by buttons or laces to the belt; high side slits expose wide trousers Tilke women's waistcoat Britannica
yashmak, yasmak		narrow face veil hanging from temples and sometimes supported on the nose Britannica
Z	A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . ref
zamliyeh	Palestine	striped headband worn by female guests in southern village wedding Weir
zerri	Kuwait	sequin
ziban	Arabia (esp Bedouin)	middle layer between thawb and bisht Kennet
zurband	Palestine	a woman's long veil half worn over the head and then spilt and wrapped around the waist Weir

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