A ''bisht'' ( ar, بِشْت; plural: ''bishūt'' and ''bshūt''), known in some Arabic spoken dialects as ''mishlaḥ'' (Arabic: ) or ''ʿabāʾ'' (Arabic: ), is a traditional men’s

cloak A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, serving the same purpose as an overcoat, protecting the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. Cloaks have been and ...

popular in the

Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

, and worn in general for thousands of years. According to ancient Christian and Hebrew paintings, a similar robe was worn in the days of Jesus, by the people of the Levant. The ''bisht'' is a flowing outer cloak worn over a ''

thawb Thawb ( ar, ثَوْب "garment"), also spelled thobe or tobe and known by various other names in different regions, is an ankle-length robe, usually with long sleeves. It is commonly worn in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, North Afri ...

''.

A symbol of Arab identity

A bisht is usually worn for prestige on special occasions such as weddings, or festivals such as Eid, or for Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah or

Salat al-Janazah ( ar, صلاة الجنازة) is the Islamic funeral prayer; a part of the Islamic funeral ritual. The prayer is performed in congregation to seek pardon for the deceased and all dead Muslims. The is a collective obligation upon Muslims () i. ...

. It is usually worn by secular officials or clergy, including tribal chiefs, kings, and imams over a

, kanzu or tunic. It is a status garment, associated with royalty, religious position, wealth, and ceremonial occasions such as weddings, like the black-tie tuxedo in the West.

Etymology

The triliteral root of the word ''bisht'' is widely used in

Semitic languages The Semitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken by more than 330 million people across much of West Asia, the Horn of Africa, and latterly North Africa, Malta, West Africa, Chad, and in large immigra ...

, including

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

, and is related to the Akkadian ''bishtu'', meaning 'nobility' or 'dignity'. The alternate name of ''ʿabāʾ'' ( ar, عَبَاء) is from the Arabic

triliteral root The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or " radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowe ...

ʿAyn ''Ayin'' (also ''ayn'' or ''ain''; transliterated ) is the sixteenth letter of the Semitic scripts, including Phoenician , Hebrew , Aramaic , Syriac ܥ, and Arabic (where it is sixteenth in abjadi order only). The letter represents a ...

- Bāʾ- Wāw'', which relates to 'filling out'.

Colour

It is usually black, brown, beige, cream or grey in colour.

Manufacturing

Bisht is made from camel's hair and goat wool that is spun and wove into a breathable fabric. Some bisht garments include a trim, known as "zari", made out of silk amd metals such as gold and silver. The fabric has a soft yarned for the summer and the coarsed-haired for winter.

In popular culture

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, Qatari Emir

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ( ar, تميم بن حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني; born 3 June 1980, Doha, Qatar) is the Emir of Qatar who succeeded his father, Sheikh Hamad, after Hamad abdicated in his favour. Tamim is the fourth son ...

placed a bisht on the Argentine captain

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...

before the 35-year-old was handed the trophy.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Bisht on alrashidmall.com
Islamic male clothing Middle Eastern clothing Arabic clothing Robes and cloaks