The particularity of Egypt is that some men wear this kind of cap on its own. The Levant Region. Like the Maghreb countries, Western clothes are predominant in the Levant, especially in big cities such as Beirut or Damascus. However, many local garments and attires can be seen in big cities and not just in the countryside.
While the same rule applies to the Levant, some particular headgears or tunics are unique to each country. Western-style clothes are widespread, especially in the western part of the capital Amman. However, it is common to see more traditional and conservative attires in downtown and eastern Amman, and of course, in the smaller towns.
Jordanian women clothing:. Jordanian men clothing:. The more significant the tassels, the higher the importance of the wearer. Like Jordan, the beauty of traditional Palestinian clothes has been replaced with a western mix. Palestinian women and men clothing :. However, the country has a specific chequered type of headgear that now represents the country on a global stage, thanks to Yasser Arafat. Nowadays, it represents support for the Palestinian cause.
Among all the Arab countries, Lebanon deserves, arguably, the title of most fashionable and stylish. Many women do not wear a hijab, especially in the capital city, Beirut. Lebanese women and men clothing :. Serials are one of the very few traditional garments still worn by some Lebanese countrymen, however, on their own, without a thobe. Serials are so fashionable that even a female version was created. Much like the other Levantinian countries, Syria has seen more and more men and women opting for Western-style clothes.
Most women wear a hijab, and some sport a jilbab or even an abaya and niqab, while some older men can still be seen with keffiyeh and long tunics. However, they have disappeared from urban areas and are worn in the countryside only on special occasions. Syrian women clothing :. It is dyed black and red and often accompanied by a belt of the same colour.
Syrian men clothing :. You find them long, loose, and in black or other neutral colours. The Gulf Countries. When it comes to the Gulf, it is quite easy to spot the locals, as compared to most countries in the region, they have persisted in wearing traditional Arabic clothing styles.
This tunic is often worn with short sherwal trousers and a ghutra, alight, white headscarf, or the keffiyeh, in the colder season. Women wear wide, long robes called abayas, usually associated with a Shayla hijab that shows some hair and a niqab. Even if men thobes men and women abaya for may seem the same everywhere in the region, some small details allow us to understand whether we are talking to a Qatari, a Kuwaiti, or an Omani.
Saudi Arabia. Saudi men and women have kept wearing their traditional Arabic clothing items, and adherence to the moderate Islamic dress for both sexes is an absolute must. Saudi women clothing :.
Only in cities such as Jeddah and Dammam are women allowed to walk around without the face veil. Saudi men clothing :.
It has a two buttoned neck, it is tight and made to have cufflinks Kabak. Even if only 25 per cent of the 2. The most common garments are:. Qatari women clothing :. Qatari men clothing :. The 1. Here are the typical Kuwaiti garments:. Kuwaiti women clothing :. It is often seen at weddings, formal meetings, traditional dance events, and so on. Kuwaiti men clothing :. Shemagh : the Kuwaiti shumagh is white and characterised by a scale shape when observed from the front.
Dishdasha : Similar to the classic one, the Kuwaiti dishdasha has a distinguishing one-button collar. Bahrain might not be as known as Saudi Arabia when it comes to Arabic clothing and culture, but it is nothing short regarding history, biodiversity, and, of course, fashion. Bahrani women clothing :. Bahrani men clothing :. Worn loose, it lets the head move freely. The UAE has a highly complex Arabic clothing fashion panorama.
While Dubai is the most progressive state among the Emirates in terms of clothing, all other areas remain conservative. Fashion has evolved here incredibly fast. If in the past sirwal and burqa were a must-wear for women, these pieces of Arabic clothing have been replaced with abaya in recent years. Moreover, the classic white thobe now comes in a wide variety of colours.
Emirati women clothing :. Emirati men clothing. It is styled quite loose, over the shoulders. More recently, it is fashionable for men in the UAE to wear American style baseball or trucker hats with their white or brown Kandora. The southern sultanate is very mindful of its culture and national heritage, Arabic clothing included. Western-style clothes have no space in the country, except for tourists, of course.
Traditional Omani attires could not be complete without:. Omani women clothing :. Hafez al-Assad died in June The younger of his two sons, Bashar, assumed his father's position. National Identity. Syrians tend to identify primarily with their religious group or sect; however, as the majority of the country is Sunni Muslim, this creates a strong feeling of cultural unity. Modern-day Syria is in part the result of geographic lines drawn by the French in , and there is still a strong pan-Arab sympathy that defines national identity beyond the current borders.
The current map was also redrawn in , when Israel took the Golan Heights, a previously Syrian territory, and the national identity is based in part on the concept of defending and reclaiming this land. Ethnic Relations. Syria is ethnically fairly homogeneous 80 percent of the population is Arab. Religious differences are tolerated, and minorities tend to retain distinct ethnic, cultural, and religious identities.
The Alawite Muslims about a half-million people live in the area of Latakia. The Druze, a smaller group that resides in the mountainous region of Jebel Druze, are known as fierce soldiers. The Ismailis are an even smaller sect, that originated in Asia.
The Armenians from Turkey are Christian. The Kurds are Muslim but have a distinct culture and language, for which they have been persecuted throughout the Middle East. The Circassians, who are Muslim, are of Russian origin and generally have fair hair and skin. The nomadic Beduoin lead a lifestyle that keeps them largely separated from the rest of society, herding sheep and moving through the desert, although some have settled in towns and villages.
Another group that remains on the outside of society both politically and socially, is the roughly , Palestinian refugees, who left their homeland in after the founding of Israel. The focal point of any Middle Eastern city is the souk, or marketplace, a labyrinthine space of alleys, stalls, and tiny shops that also include ancient mosques and shrines. Traditionally, the residential quarters of a city were divided along ethnic and religious lines.
Today, this system has been largely replaced by divisions along class lines, with some wealthier neighborhoods and some poorer ones. Damascus is an ancient city, and along with Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. The Great Omayyad Mosque, which dates back to the early days of Islam, is one of its oldest and most famous buildings. It formerly served as a Byzantine church honoring Saint John the Baptist and was constructed on the site of an old temple to pre-Islamic gods.
The walls are lined with marble and overlaid with golden vines. Six hundred gold lamps hang from the ceiling. The city is home to ruins as well as intact buildings that date back thousands of years. These structures are located in the area called the Old City. Damascus is also a city of cars, highways, and tall modern buildings made of reinforced concrete.
Aleppo, although smaller, is equally ancient. It is geographically protected by its elevation and rocky terrain, and traces its history back to its days as a fort. Today Aleppo is the nation's second largest urban center and most industrialized city.
It engages in silk weaving and cotton printing as well as the tanning of animal hides and the processing of produce. Other cities include Latakia, the country's main port, and Homs and Tartus, both of which have oil refineries. In villages, houses present a closed front to the outside world, symbolizing the self-contained family unit. They are small, usually with one to three rooms, and are built around an enclosed central courtyard. Traditional rural houses in the northwest are mud structures that are shaped like beehives.
In the south and east, most houses are made of stone. The nomadic Bedouin, who live mainly in the south and east, sleep in tents that are easily transportable. In , 30 percent of the population lived in cities; in , that proportion was 46 percent; and by , the number had climbed to half. Most of this growth has been concentrated in Damascus. The rapid spread of that city into nearby farmland has resulted in traffic congestion, overtaxed water supplies, pollution, and housing shortages.
Many older buildings have been taken down to make room for roads and newer structures. The outskirts of the city have become overrun with quickly and shoddily constructed homes that sometimes have electricity but rarely have running water or sewage facilities. Food in Daily Life. Wheat is the main crop and one of the staple foods. Vegetables, fruits, and dairy products also are eaten. Lamb is popular, but most people cannot afford to eat meat on a regular basis.
Islam proscribes the consumption of pork, and other meats must be specially prepared in a method called halal cooking. In middle-class and wealthier homes, meals are like those eaten in other Middle Eastern countries: roast or grilled chicken or lamb with side dishes of rice, chickpeas, yogurt, and vegetables. A mezzeh is a midday meal composed of up to twenty or thirty small dishes. These dishes can include hummous , a puree of chickpeas and tahini ground sesame paste ; baba ganouj, an eggplant puree; meat rissoles; stuffed grape leaves; tabouleh a salad of cracked wheat and vegetables ; falafel deep-fried balls of mashed chickpeas ; and pita bread.
Olives, lemon, parsley, onion, and garlic are used for flavoring. Popular fruits that are grown in the region include dates, figs, plums, and watermelons.
Damascus has a number of French restaurants remaining from the time of colonial rule. Tea is the ubiquitous drink and is often consumed at social gatherings. Soda is also very popular, as is milk and a drink made by mixing yogurt with water, salt, and garlic.
Alcohol consumption is rare, as it is forbidden by the Islamic religion, but beer and wine are available, as is arak, an aniseed drink that also is popular in other Middle Eastern countries. Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. Food is an important part of many celebrations.
During Ramadan, each day's fast is broken with an evening meal called iftar. This meal begins in silence and is consumed rapidly. Eid al-Fitr, the final breaking of the Ramadan fast, entails the consumption of large quantities of food, sweets in particular.
Food is also a central element at weddings, parties, and other festivities. Basic Economy. The country supplies almost all of its own food needs. The proportion of the population working in agriculture has decreased significantly from 50 percent in , to 30 percent in the s, to 23 percent today. Despite this decline, production has increased, thanks in large part to the dam at Tabqa, which has allowed for increased irrigation.
Half of the workforce is employed in industry and mining. There is less of a gap between the rich and the poor in Syria than there is in many other countries, and as more of the population gains access to education, the middle class continues to expand. Land Tenure and Property. Before independence, urban landlords controlled the countryside, often mistreating the peasants and denying them any rights.
The majority of peasants worked as sharecroppers and were economically and politically powerless. When the socialist Baath Party took control, it introduced measures to limit and redistribute land ownership and establish peasant unions. It also set up local governing organizations and cooperatives, that have allowed the peasants to attain more control of their lives and livelihood.
Commercial Activities. The center of commercial activity in each town or city is the souk. People from all walks of life and all ethnic and religious backgrounds come together to buy and sell a wide variety of goods. Spices, meats, vegetables, cloth, traditional handicrafts, and imported products jostle for space in the crowded booths and alleyways. Souks are not just commercial centers but gathering places as well, and haggling is a necessary part of social interactions. Shopping centers and supermarkets exist but have not supplanted this uniquely Arab institution.
Major Industries. The main industries are oil, agriculture, and textiles. Wheat is the largest crop, followed by cotton. Vegetables, beans, and fruits The busy Liberation Square in Damascus. The city is one of the oldest inhabited places in the world, but now it is also a very modern city. There is some heavy industry metallurgy and aluminum as well as pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals. The oil industry is controlled by the government. Other manufactures include cement, glass, soap, and tobacco.
Syria's primary trading partners are Germany, Italy, and France. Although Syria is not as rich in oil as other Middle Eastern nations, oil is the main export, and the exploration for deposits continues. Other exports are cotton, fruits and vegetables, and textiles.
Imports include industrial and agricultural machinery, vehicles and automotive accessories, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and fabric. Division of Labor. Syrians are legally entitled to pursue the career of their choice; however, those choices are often limited by gender, family, social pressure, and economic hardship. There is often relatively little difference in the salaries of the working class and those of the professional class.
Classes and Castes. Syrian society was traditionally extremely stratified. People from different classes generally do not socialize with one another, and people in the lower classes often adopt a humble attitude and an acceptance of their position. Class lines tend to coincide with racial differences, as lighter-skinned people hold higher economic and political positions and most of the people in the lower-ranked professions are darker-skinned.
The families of landholders and merchants traditionally occupied the highest position socially and politically. They usually lived in Damascus or Aleppo and managed their land from afar. Religious teachers known as ulama were also influential. They served as judges, teachers, and political officials as well as advisers to the government. In this role, the ulama generally supported the status quo. The towns and cities also housed artisans, small merchants, and a small working class. The Baath government has created some shifts in that pattern.
Some peasants are moving to the cities and joining the middle class; others now own land. However, there are still large numbers of indigent and landless peasants. Since the Baath takeover, the army officers who participated in the coup have succeeded the landowners as the new elite.
There is also a growing middle class as a result of the spread of education. Symbols of Social Stratification. The wealthy and well educated have a fairly modern lifestyle with many of the trappings of Western life. Televisions and radios are common except among the extremely poor.
Appliances such as air conditioners, dishwashers, and microwaves are only for the very wealthy. Dress is another indicator of social class.
Different tribes and villages have their own distinctive patterns, designs, and colors of clothing. Men traditionally wear long gowns called kaftans, and women wear long robes that leave only their hands and feet exposed.
Both men and women wear head wraps. The educated upper classes, particularly the young, tend to prefer modern Western attire. These women favor bright colors, jewelry, makeup, and high heels; men wear dressy slacks and shirts.
Blue jeans and T-shirts are rare, as are shorts and miniskirts and bare shoulders or upper arms for women. Traditionally, it is a sign of wealth and status in a family for its women to dress in long robes with their faces veiled. Syria adopted its current constitution in There is universal suffrage.
The unicameral legislative branch is composed of the People's Council, or Majlis al shaab, whose members are elected for four-year terms. This body proposes laws, discusses cabinet programs, and approves the national budget. The president, who serves as the head of state and is required by the constitution to be a Muslim, is elected every seven years by popular vote. The president appoints a vice president, a prime minister who serves as head of government, a cabinet, and deputy prime ministers.
The president has wide-reaching powers, including serving on the supreme court. Despite the distribution of political power, in practice, the military government has the ability to overrule all decisions.
Leadership and Political Officials. The importance placed on the family as the central structure in society has ramifications in politics and government. Family loyalty is a primary consideration, and there is a general sentiment that family members even distant relatives can be trusted more than other people.
The best jobs in the government generally are held by people related to the president, either of the same religious group or the same regional background or part of his extended family.
While residents generally are interested in politics both at a local level and as a part of the larger Arab world and are critical of leaders, they tend not to join political parties. Even the ruling Baath Party has relatively small numbers of members.
It is more Women outside a mosque in Damascus. Religion is an important part of daily life in Syria. Within these groups, leadership positions are often hotly contested.
Social Problems and Control. The legal system is based on the French model, with both civil and criminal courts. There is also a State Security Court that tries political opponents of the government. The proceedings of this court violate many international standards for fair trials.
There are large numbers of political prisoners in the jails. In , the government announced that it would free 2, of these prisoners, perhaps signaling a loosening of its autocratic policies. For cases dealing with issues such as birth, marriage, and inheritance, the system has different courts for people of different religions.
The Muslim courts are called Sharia. Military Activity. Syria has armed forces with , members. This includes an army and an air force but no navy. It spends 30 percent of the national budget on defense as a result of the state of war that has existed between Syria and Israel since the founding of Israel. Syria also has thirty thousand troops stationed in Lebanon to maintain the peace.
All men are required to serve thirty months in the armed forces, with the exception of only sons, who are exempt. It is possible to buy exemption from service for a very large sum of money.
Women are allowed to serve voluntarily. The government strictly enforces price controls on basic items as well as rent control laws, that help low-income people get by. Medical fees are covered by the state for those who cannot afford private care. The government also provides assistance to the elderly, invalids, and those suffering from work injuries. Most assistance comes from within the family structure; young people often live with their parents until and even after marriage, and children are expected to take in and care for their elderly parents.
Division of Labor by Gender. Shumagh : white is the most widespread colour. Worn loose, it lets the head move freely. Dishdasha : also the Bahraini thobe is very comfortable, loose and witha shirt collar. The UAE has a complex fashion panorama. While Dubai is the most progressive and up-to-date among the emirates, the other areas are more conservative in terms of clothing.
Fashion here has evolved incredibly fast and if in the past sirwal and burqa were a must for women, they have been substituted by the abaya and even the white thobe now comes in a variety of colours. Abaya : Dubai is the land of fashionable and trendy abayas decorated with sequins, embroideries and ribbons. Shumagh : white or in the Jordanian red and white pattern. Very simply styled and left loose over the shoulders. Kandora : the UAE name for dishdasha.
It is collarless and features a long tassel called tarboosh. Emirati women in Dubai airport. Photo credit: Nicolas Mirguet. In recent years it has become fashionable for men in the UAE to wear an American style baseball hat or trucker hat with their white or brown Kandora. The southern sultanate really cares about the integrity of its national heritage, clothing included. Western-style clothes have no space in the country, with the exception of tourists of course. Abaya : the black abaya with some colourful details is most common in the capital Masqat.
Dishdasha : just like men, also Omani women of rural areas wear this traditional tunic in a great variety of colours and with rich details. They match it with loose-fitting sirwals. Kumma : there is no space for the shumagh in Oman, substituted by the traditional cap which comes in different colours and has holes to keep the head cool. Muzzar : a turban which is wrapped around the head, with or without kumma underneath it. Dishdasha : it can be white or in earth tones such as brown or grey.
It sports a short tassel, too. Omani family in Nizwa. Photo credit: ophiuchus1. This country has preserved an extraordinary heritage in terms of history and traditions. Clothes are just one expression of how much Yemenis still follow their customs and their outfits show the region they come from: the mountainous North, the coastal area of the West and South or a tribal area.
Still, it is not uncommon for men to wear Western clothes in the cities. Nowadays, only elderly women wear this colourful piece of cloth which covers them from head to toes.
Shawl : this headscarf, differently from the shumagh, is wrapped around the head just like a turban. It comes in many different colours. The more valuable ones have been used by the same family for generations. There are also cheaper daggers manufactured in China. Yemeni woman wearing a Sitara.
Photo credit:fiat. Photo credit: fiat. The style of Sudan is unique and easily recognisable. Sudanese wear many of the garments which are widespread in the rest of the Middle East, but in a brighter and more colourful version which reminds us of other African countries. While Western clothes are indeed used especially in the cities, some still prefer the loose-fitting traditional items. Thobe : differently from the Gulf, this big piece of cloth is an item for women.
It is wrapped all around the body and the head. It comes in varying patterns and colours, according to the occasion. It is generally donned by older women. Alternatives are: abayas, long skirts, and dresses. Hijab : being a Muslim country, all Sudanese women wear a headscarf, sometimes underneath the thobe.
Jalabiya : just like the Egyptians, also Sudanese men like being comfortable wearing this loose-fitting tunic. They usually add a decorated scarf called an immah. Taqiya : the skullcap is worn without the keffieh to keep the head cool, again just like Egypt.
Clothing in the Middle East is an important business, perhaps even more than in the West. Clothes reveal so many things about not only the personality, but also the region and social class of the wearer.
Moreover, the choice of a certain item of clothing assumes a fundamental moral value. For example, some Arabs more or less consciously think that women without hijabs are more open minded, but also have fewer morals, while women with hijab are somewhat more religious and thus respectable. Thus, clothes in the Middle East are a fashion statement, just like they are in the West, but clothing has a stronger social and moral dimension, too.
As we have seen there is an infinite variety of Arab garments and what we have listed represents only a minimum part of it. Clothes remain a fundamental element in the cultural identity of each country in the Middle East. Some countries have followed Western footsteps in terms of fashion, namely the Levant and North Africa, while others are still holding on tight to their traditional attires like Saudi Arabia or Yemen.
While clothing might seem a superficial matter in Europe and America, this really is not the case in the Middle East. Clothes can give us precious info about the person in front of us while we are doing business or making friends and it is a useful key to understand the spirit of each Arab nation.
IstiZada regularly creates resources that are free to the public with the goal of building bridges with the Arab world through education. Years ago we saw that there was a lack of good information available online about various aspects of Arab culture in English. All images in this post and the quiz are from Flickr and licensed under Creative Commons. Contact Us Facebook. Get Our Newsletter. Updated on: October 17, October 17, Arab Clothing: The Ultimate Guide The Middle East is a variegated and colourful universe when it comes to clothes and attires for both men and women.
This statement is wrong for two main reasons: a. The main difference between Shayla and Al-Amira is the shape of the scarf rectangular for the shayla, tubular for the al-amira and the head cap hidden or only slightly visible in the former, while a big portion is left exposed in the latter It can be seen in the Middle East, even though it is particularly widespread in the South East Asian Muslim community.
The differences: The niqab is usually black and merely a face veil, the burqa is mostly light blue in colour and covers the whole body The niqab usually leaves the eyes uncovered, while the burqa has a net over them Photo credit:Tribes of the World 5 All Arab men wear a long, white robe and a coloured headscarf. Morocco Many Moroccans still wear the djellaba , a wide and comfortable hooded tunic with long sleeves which can be considered as a part of the national heritage.
A kaftan. Photo credit: ukg. It is a symbol of the Tunisian traditions Old woman wearing a sefsari in Tunis. Photo credit: Nevenka Mazic Old man wearing the chechia, Tunis. Photo credit: Andrea Nardi Algeria Much like Tunisia, Algeria has also been heavily influenced by the West when it comes to clothes, thus seeing a typical Algerian attire might be difficult.
It is a long white piece of cloth which covers the whole body Holi :a white cloak wrapped around the body, usually worn with the tagiyah A Libyan woman wearing a haik in Tripoli A Libyan Touareg donning a holi Photo credit: C. The particularity of Egypt is that some men were this cap on its own Egyptian sailor wearing a gallabiya Man in Cairo donning gallabiya and taqiya.
Jordan Niqab, hijab, jilbab, jeans, t-shirts, khimar: these are only a part of the vast array of clothes worn by Jordanians.
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