Clothing of Middle East during 6th Century and Onwards

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Clothing of Middle East during 6th Century and Onwards!

The style of costume worn over this large and not very well-defined region has been remarkably constant for centuries. This is partly because it has evolved as one suited to carrying out hard work on the land under considerable extremes of climate, serving as a protection to the body against heat, dust, and blazing sunshine, and partly because the wearing of traditional clothing has been accepted and supported by Muslim countries.

The actual garments worn are loose-fitting ones that cover, even envelop, much of the body. The names of these garments vary from country to country, but the similarity is clear. The spread of the characteristic costume of the Middle East was due in large part to the Arabs.

These were people of the Arabian Desert who, by the 6th century AD, led a stable, rural life in the border areas of Yemen, Syria, and Iraq but who, in the interior region, were largely Bedouin nomads raising camel herds for a living.

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By AD 750 the Arab empire extended from Spain and Morocco in the west to the Caspian Sea and the Indus River in the east. The chief garments worn at that time were a loose shirt, chemise, or robe; a draped cloak; wide, baggy trousers; and a head cloth or turban.

Remarkably similar versions of these may still be seen on the streets of Cairo, Istanbul, or Damascus. The simple basic garment for both sexes was a loose, long shirt, chemise, or tunic, which often had long sleeves. Over this men wore a robe or mantle of various types.

The loose, baggy trousers traditional to the Middle East are still widely worn by both sexes. The garment is believed to have originated in Persia, and it is presumed that the Arabs saw it there when they invaded that country in the 7th century. The trousers, called chalvar, chalwar, or alvar according to the country where they were worn, measured about three yards across at the waist and were drawn tight by cords.

The full, leg portion was tied at each ankle. A broad sash then encircled the waist, on top of the chalvar. Worn in this way the garment was ideal for working in the fields because it allowed freedom of movement and protected the lumbar region of the spine, especially while bending, from chills.

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For centuries the garment has also been adopted by men in the fighting forces. Cotton is the usual material for working attire, but fashionable ladies wear such a chalvar (pronounced Shalwar in India and Pakistan) made from a brocade or silk fabric over linen drawers.

The tradition for women to cover themselves from head to toe and veil their faces when they go out in public is an old one, predating Islam in Persia, Syria, and Anatolia. The Quran provides instructions giving guidance on this matter but not a strict ruling. It has been the rigidly male- dominated world of the Middle East that has insisted on the strict veiling of women in public.

The enveloping cloaks worn by women for this purpose are similar to one another and often incorporate a mesh panel through which women may peer at the world outside. The most common names for this garment are chador, châdar, chadri, ҫaroaf and tcharchaf. (Draping a chadar is still common with women in northern parts of India, especially in the rural areas).

The characteristic masculine Arab headdress has been the kaffiyeh. It is still worn today, although it may now be accompanied by a Western suit. Basically, the kaffiyeh is a square of cotton, linen, wool, or silk, either plain or patterned, that is folded into a triangle and placed upon the head so that one point falls on to each shoulder and the third down the back. It is held in place on the head by the agal (igal, egal), a corded band decorated with beads or metallic threads.