FEZ HAT CLASSIC ICONIC STYLISH
INTRODUCTION
The fez (in Berber: ⴼⴰⵙ, fas fās; in Turkish: fes, in Greek: φέσι, fési) or tarbouche ṭarbūš?, in Berber: ⴰⵟⵔⴱⵓⵛ, aṭrbuc) is a male headgear made of felt, often red, in the shape of truncated cone, decorated with a black tassel attached to the top. This brimless cap, originating in ancient Greece, was adopted by many ethnic and religious groups over the following centuries, notably in the Ottoman Empire of the 19th century. In its long history, the fez has been worn by several peoples, including Greeks, Turks, Arabs, Bosnians, Albanians, Berbers, Armenians, Levantines and various populations of the Muslim religion. Nowadays, it is worn less and less.
ETYMOLOGY AND NAMES
The word fez comes from the Turkish fes, a term which probably comes from the name of the city of Fez in Morocco, the place where this headgear was mainly manufactured. The word tarbouche comes from Arabic (ṭarbūš), a term derived from the Persian words sar meaning “head”, and puš, present radical of (pušidan), “to cover, to wear”, and therefore literally means “head covering”.
In Turkish it is called fes, in Greek φέσι (fési), in Syriac σι (sarp̄ūšā), in Hebrew תרבוש (tarbūš), in Amazigh ⴰⵟⵔⴱⵓⵛ (aṭrbuc), in Kurdish fes or fê s.
In the Maghreb, it is also called tarbouche, terbush, chéchia medgidi or chéchia stambouli in Maghrebi Arabic.
Shapes
The fez can have several shapes. This is a rimless, cone-shaped felt cap with a flat top. The oldest model has the shape of a cap, surrounded by a long turban which can be white, red or black. When it was adopted in Constantinople, its form changed. It becomes more rounded and smaller. At some point, the turban disappears, and red becomes the most used color. The fez gets its characteristic red shade from the brilliant red berries of the male dogwood (Cornus mas, kızılcık in Turkish).
ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF THE FEZ IN THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
The origins of the Ottoman fez, and consequently those of the headgear derived from it: the Arab tarbouche and the chechia, date back to ancient Greece. The brimless pharion cap, made of velvet or felt, was widely worn in the Eastern Roman Empire during the Middle Ages. The Ottomans adopted this Greek fez during the conquest of Anatolia.
During the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mahmoud II (1808–1839), European fashion gradually replaced the traditional clothing worn by members of the Ottoman court. The change was quickly followed by the older population and servants, followed by members of the ruling class and the emancipated classes throughout the Empire. However, while the European fashion for trousers and jackets was gradually adopted, it did not extend to headwear. Indeed, the semi-rigid conical purple fez had in the meantime become a mark of loyalty to the sultan for his subjects of all obediences, and to the caliph that he was for his Muslim subjects, who kept their fez during prayer, which would not have been possible with Western hats with visors or wide brims.
The fez is said to have been proposed to Sultan Mahmoud II by Admiral Mehmed Husrev Pasha, governor of Ottoman Egypt and various other provinces, and then Capitan Pasha of the Ottoman navy during the Greek War of Independence. In 1827, he was appointed commander of the new Ottoman army (Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediyye, “The Victorious Soldier of Muhammad”, otherwise called the Mansour Army), formed on the Western model, in 1827, which replaced the Janissaries. Then, in 1829, the sultan issued a firman which indicated that the fez in its modified form would be an integral part of the costume of all civil and religious dignitaries. The fez, by replacing the Muslim turban, actually acted as a means of a new policy of Ottomanism and, ultimately, aimed at the homogenization of the different populations of the Ottoman Empire. The red color and name of the modern Ottoman fez could be linked to the eponymous city in Morocco.
Abdülmecid II wearing a fez (1923).
After the First World War, during the creation of republican and secular Turkey, Mustafa Kemal, in his Plan for a modern, secular, Turkish state (1925) saw the fez as a symbol, of Greek origin, of the monarchy, of theocracy and feudalism
Thus history repeats itself in varied guises; the fez, introduced about a hundred years earlier as a means of homogenizing the Ottoman populations by the “Sublime Porte”, was now rejected as a “foreign costume” in a definitively nationalist and westernized Turkey.
The fez is prohibited there by a law of November 25, 1925, Turkish men having to wear a European-style hat21. Since then, the fez is no longer part of Turkish men’s clothing. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry evokes this decree, its motivations and its effects in his famous work The Little Prince where he relates the discovery in 1909 of the asteroid B612 (from which the “little prince” came) by a Turkish astronomer who no one did not want to believe because of his Ottoman costume in fez, and which was only taken seriously in the 1920s when he repeated his demonstration dressed and hairstyled in European style
IN NORTH AFRICA
In North Africa and elsewhere, the fez remained in use until the 21st century, either as popular clothing or as a mark of Muslim identity. In Tunisia, it was introduced during the Ottoman era and is called “chéchia stambouli” or “chéchia medjidi”, in reference to Istanbul and Sultan Abdul-Medjid. The name “chechia” also designates other Muslim headgear and comes from the city of “Chach”, today Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan28.
In Algeria (which was also part of the Ottoman Empire) the fez, called “chéchia stambouli”, is worn with a djellaba (of different colors) or with traditional Ottoman attire. The fez is also worn by certain religious dignitaries or by faithful. In Morocco (which was not Ottoman), the fez is still part of the traditions: it is worn with a white djellaba and yellow or white belgha; this outfit is also that of Arab-Andalusian music groups.
AMONG ASIAN MUSLIMS
Among Asian Muslims, the fez is known as the rumi topi (“Roman hat”, due to its Byzantine-Ottoman origins29). The rumi topi was the symbol of Muslim identity, and was the distinctive sign of Muslim Indians, who thus showed their support for the caliphate at the head of which was the Ottoman emperor. Subsequently, he was associated with the Muslim League, the political party that helped create Pakistan. Pakistani veteran Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan was among the few people still wearing the fez when he died in 2003. In Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, the fez is an integral part of the culture. It is called peci in Bahasa Malay. The peci is black, elliptical in shape and is sometimes decorated with embroidery. It is worn during various ceremonies, most often religious, and occasionally for formal occasions by official figures. The Cape Malays, descendants of populations from Southeast Asia displaced from the 17th century, also adopted the peci.
IN THE UNITED STATES
In the United States, the Oriental fez has been adopted by some fraternities since the 19th century. Shriners (members of an American Masonic society established in the 1870s) wear a fez decorated with Arab-Muslim-inspired symbols in their ritual attire. In the 20th century, the order of the Moorish Science Temple of America, composed mainly of African-Americans claiming to be Muslim, also adopted the fez.
CULTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
When it appeared in 1869 as a serial in the Petit Moniteur, Alphonse Daudet’s hero Tartarin de Tarascon (then called Barbarin) was represented wearing a fez by the illustrator Louis Émile Benassit.
In the 1930s, Mish Mish Effendi, the character of the first Arab cartoon, Mish Mish, created by the Egyptian Jewish brothers Frenkel (en), wore a tarbouche30.
In 1964 in Les Barbouzes by Georges Lautner, the staff of the Istanbul hotel anachronistically wear a fez.
In 2006, in the film OSS 117, the fez was a subject of puns and mockery for Lucien Bramard / Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath.
In the Doctor Who series, the Eleventh Doctor repeatedly wears a red fez without a tassel, which has become one of the symbols associated with this incarnation of the character. Thus, it is not uncommon to see many fans wearing the fez during conventions around the series.
In the 2011 independent video game The Binding of Isaac, the character Judas wears a fez.
In 2012, the independent video game Fez was named after the fez worn by the main character.
In the series Gravity Falls, Uncle Stan has a fez.
In 2012, in the film What Day Owes to Night, the fez is worn by several Algerian inhabitants.
In 2018, in the film Wonder Woman, the fez is worn by Sameer (Saïd Taghmaoui), one of the protagonists accompanying Diana (Wonder Woman).
FEZES AND FEDORAS
The fedora and the fez are two distinct kinds of headwear that each has their own significance in terms of culture as well as history and fashion
A COMPARATIVE BETWEEN FEZES AND FEDORAS
Fez
Origin and Cultural Significance
- Histories The Fez was first discovered within the capital city in Fez, Morocco, during the 19th century. The fez became fashionable during the Ottoman Empire and was linked to various cultures across North Africa and the Middle East.
- Symbolism The Fez represents culture and identity, typically worn in religious and celebrations of culture. In certain contexts, it symbolizes nationalism, in particular Turkey as well as Egypt.
Design and qualities
- Form: A fez can be described as a cylindrical cap, with flat top and T-stitch. The majority of them are made from wool or felt.
- Color Most often red, however it could be available in a variety of shades based on regional variations.
- Style of Wearing The most common way to wear it is with the hair straight, typically, it has a tassel which hangs from the side.
Modern Use
- Fezes are often used for cultural occasions as well as celebrations and people belonging to certain groups (like for instance the Shriners of the United States). It is also the most sought-after costume item.
FEDORA
Origin and Cultural Significance
- History The heritage of the fedora goes in the latter part of 19th century, and was popular at the beginning of the 20th century, especially in the male population. It initially was considered a fashion for women, but later changed to become a man’s fashion.
- symbolism The term “fedora” is frequently associated with class as well as style and particular social status. The style has been portrayed through films as well as by legendary models in the fashion industry.
Design and Characteristics
- Form A fedora is an elongated brim, which is typically wider than the Fez. The crown is pinched that can be wrinkled.
- Material made from a variety of substances, such as straw, wool, felt even leather.
- The Style of Wearing typically worn with the crown slightly tilted towards one side or straight. Often worn with a band around the crown’s base.
Modern Use
- The fedora is frequently regarded as a fashionable accessory casual and formal situations. It’s seen a resurgence over the last few years, and is now popular with fashionistas as well as being a symbol of old fashion.
COMPARISON SUMMARY
- The Cultural Origins The fez has very rooted within North African and Middle Eastern traditions, whereas the fedora is rooted in Western style.
- Design A fez can be described as the rigid round cap. The fedora is more flexible and has a soft the brim.
- Utilization The fez can be typically a symbol of respect, whereas the fedora is more wearable and wearable in different social situations.
- Style The Fedora is often thought of as elegant and stylish Fezes are more an evocative and historical image.
While each hat is fashionable accessories, they are from various cultures and each has its own meaning. The choice of fedora or fez often is based on individual taste and the environment where the hat is to be wore.
CONCLUSION
The Fez hat is a symbol of rich culture traditions and historical significance, which reflects the distinct cultures and traditions of diverse societies, specifically within north Africa and the Middle East. The unique design of the fez, usually associated with class and style transcends fashion and style, expressing the character of those who wear it throughout the generations. A versatile and adaptable accessory it continues to influence fashion and style while keeping us aware of its important historic roots. The fez is a symbol of paying tribute to a tradition of craft and expression of culture, making sure that the iconic headwear is popular and relevant in our globalized world.
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