"Description of the Hejaz turban in the region of Mecca in the Saudi Era (From the 14th century AH / 20 AD)"

Abstract

TTraditional costumes are a cultural heritage that distinguishes one nation from another. Traditional clothing may disappear if it is not well-documented by means of scientific research. Therefore, this study documents a part of the traditional clothing of Makkah Al-Mukarramah region, namely the Meccan turban; a heritage head covering that characterized the region for a long period of time. The turban is also the oldest headwear among the Arabs (Al-Zailai, 2017). It was only worn by honorable gentlemen (Al-Omary, 2012). The Arab have also used it in times of war, where a turban of a folk leader would be used as a war flag, in a show of respect. Given its dignified stature, Arabs have considered the turban as a motto for themselves and their Arab identity. Taking pride of cultural and historical heritage, this paper has examined the Meccan turban in terms of its characteristics, types, and applied methods of decorations, with the aim to transfer current knowledge on traditional heritage of the Meccan turban to potential next generations of researchers, who would be interesting in studying the traditional heritage. In this paper, the Meccan turban, its various types and applied methods of decoration have been well-identified. This was later documented in a scientific manner, following the descriptive approach of the study, and using a qualitative method in collecting the required data. In-depth interviews with persons interested in the Meccan turban have been carried out. Several types of turbans on display in local archaeological museums have been examined, leading the researcher to compile an accurate description of the Meccan turban in the Saudi era, and identify its types and applied methods of decorations.

Keywords

• heritage; turban; head wear; men; makkah al-mukarramah