
The Karakul hat (), also known by other names, is a hat made from the fur of the
Karakul breed of
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
. It originally comes from
Bukhara
Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region.
People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...
,
Uzbekistan
, image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
, image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg
, symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem
, national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
.
The fur from which it is made is referred to as ''
Astrakhan
Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
'', ''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
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
. It was worn by
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...
, the founding father of
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, 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.
Production
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 Qorako‘l, a town in the
Bukhara
Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region.
People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...
Region of Uzbekistan. Later, the cap became popular in Mazar Sharif, a city in Afghanistan, after which Uzbek craftsmen also brought the business to Pakistan.
The type of wool from which these caps are made is popularly known as astar, astarkhan, broadtail,
qaraqulcha and Irani menda. The literal meaning of Karakul, which is a Turkish word, is black lake.
Design
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 fur is obtained from a newly-born sheep, which gives the cap its tough and curly texture as well as a specific pattern.
Kashmiri variations
Karakul caps have been worn by
Kashmiris
Kashmiris () also known as Koshurs are an Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group speaking the Kashmiri language and originating from the Kashmir Valley, which is today located in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union terr ...
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.
Most of the mainstream lawmakers enjoy wearing the Karakul caps. A Kashmiri groom frequently dons a Karakul Cap while waiting for his fiancée to join him at his in-laws' residence.It is most likely worn by elderly people
African variations
Both the velvet and faux fur versions are worn by men of African descent with Western
suit
A suit, also called a lounge suit, business suit, dress suit, or formal suit, is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles generally worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt su ...
s, and African attire such as the
grand boubou.
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
of African ancestry wear these caps with the
dishdasha. In urban slang, the karakul cap is called a ''fur
kufi'', while the Rampuri cap is called a ''velvet
fez hat''. When worn properly, these caps are always slanted at an angle, and never placed straight on the head.
Leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant cat species in the genus ''Panthera''. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of with a ...
print karakul caps are common in
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
, but are rarely seen in the United States. In popular culture,
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
wore the karakul cap in the movie ''
Coming to America
''Coming to America'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed by John Landis, based on a story originally created by Eddie Murphy, written by David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein, and starring Murphy (in various roles), Arsenio ...
''.
Gallery
File:Karzai.jpg, alt=, Afghanistan former president, Hamed Karzai wearing a Karakul hat
File:25 01 2020 Banquete no Palácio Presidencial (49439510138).jpg, Ram Nath Kovind, former president of India, wearing the hat
File:Tagore Iran.jpg, Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...
wearing a karakul hat in a 1932 group photograph in the Majlis
(, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning 'sitting room', used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural connections to the Mus ...
of Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
File:Die Kürschnerkunst, Hans Werner, 1914 (S. 199) Bucharische Lammfelle und daraus gefertigte 'Persianer'-Mützen.jpg, Bukhara Karakul skins and Karakul hats
File:Kushan devotee Mathura.jpg, Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the states and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located south-east of Delhi; and about from the town of Vrindavan. In ancient ti ...
sculpture depicting similar hat style
See also
*
List of hat styles
Hats have been common throughout the history of humanity, present on some of the very earliest preserved human bodies and art. Below is a list of various kinds of contemporary or traditional hat.
List
See also
*List of headgear
References
...
*
Astrakhan (fur)
*
Fur wedge cap
*
Papakha
*
Side cap (Pilotka)
*
Taqiyah (cap)
The Taqiyah (, ALA-LC: ''ṭāqīyah''Turkish language, Turkish: "takke", Urdu, Hindi "topi", , ALA-LC: "ṭopī", , ''ṭupi'', Somali language, Somali: "Koofi")), also known as tagiyah or araqchin (; ), is a short, rounded Wiktionary:skull ...
Notes
References
{{Uzbek clothing
Afghan clothing
Hats
Indian clothing
Islamic male clothing
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Pakistani headgear
Woolen clothing
Uzbek clothing