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Karakul hat

Traditional sheep fur hat of Central and South Asia

Traditional sheep fur hat of Central and South Asia

The Karakul hat (), also known by other names, is a hat made from the fur (either or karakulcha) of the Karakul breed of sheep. The fur from which it is made is referred to as Astrakhan, broadtail, qaraqulcha, or Persian lamb. The hat is peaked, and folds flat when taken off the wearer's head.

The cap is typically worn by Muslim men in Central and South Asia. It was worn by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, where it is known as the Jinnah cap. The karakul, which had distinguished all educated urban men since the beginning of the 20th century, has fallen out of fashion in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Design and production

In terms of design, the cap is peaked and has several parts. It folds flat when taken off the head. The cap has been particularly popular among the Muslim population of Central and South Asia, however, there is no religious significance attached to it.

The cap is made of the fur of the Qaraqul or Karakul breed of sheep, which is found in the desert areas of Central Asia. The sheep have been named in connection to the city of Qorakoʻl, a town in the Bukhara Region of Uzbekistan. Later, the cap gained popularity in Mazar-i-Sharif, a city in Afghanistan, after which Uzbek craftsmen introduced the craft to Pakistan.

The karakul fur is obtained from a newly-born sheep, which gives the cap its tough and curly texture as well as a specific pattern. The karakulcha (diminutive of "karakul"), a finer and more expensive material, is taken from lamb fetuses or miscarriages.

Kashmiri variations

Karakul caps have been worn by Kashmiris for the past several decades. The Karakul cap is colloquially known as a "Karakuli" in the Kashmir Valley. The traditional headgear of the gentry in Kashmir has historically been the turban tied in a similar fashion to the Pashtun equivalent.

Notes

References

References

  1. Ahmed, Akbar S.. (2005). "Jinnah, Pakistan, and Islamic tity: The Search for Saladin". [[Routledge]].
  2. (18 March 2022). "Decoding Afghanistan's colourful headgear culture". [[Al Jazeera Media Network.
  3. Baig, Zulfiqar. (9 October 2019). "Jinnah Cap – a dying legacy". [[The Express Tribune]].
  4. "Hamid Karzai's Famous Hat Made From Aborted Lamb Fetuses". FOXNews.com.
  5. (27 May 2007). "Qaraquls Burst Upon the Fashion World". Taipei Times.
  6. (12 December 2000). "HSUS Investigation Reveals Slaughter of Unborn and Newborn Lambs for Fur: Dateline NBC Features Undercover Investigation Documenting Animal Cruelty".
  7. (11 December 2000). "Transcript of NBC "Dateline" Feature on Karakul Production".
  8. "Clothing in Afghanistan".
  9. Nordland, Rob. (26 January 2010). "The Afghan Leader's Hat, Always More Than Just Headgear, Is Losing Its Cachet". New York Times.
  10. KO. (24 March 2022). "The Royal Headgear: Qarakul - Kashmir Observer".
  11. Yasin, Aamir. (8 December 2019). "The last Jinnah cap maker in Rawalpindi".
  12. (8 October 2019). "Jinnah Cap – a dying legacy".
  13. (8 October 2019). "Jinnah Cap – a dying legacy".
  14. (6 April 2019). "Why we stopped selling Karakul Caps".
  15. M. Ashraf. (1 January 2013). "The Karakul Cap".
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afghan-clothing hats indian-clothing islamic-male-clothing muhammad-ali-jinnah pakistani-headgear woolen-clothing uzbek-clothing
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