Thawb
Encyclopedia
A thawb or thobe dishdasha ( / dishdāshah), kandura ( / kandūrah), or suriyah in Libya, is an ankle-length garment, usually with long sleeves, similar to a robe
. It is commonly worn in Arab
countries. An Izaar
is commonly worn underneath.
, Egypt, Jordan,Iraq and other Muslim countries. It is normally made of cotton
, but heavier materials such as sheep's wool
can also be used, especially in colder seasons. The style of the thawb varies slightly among the various regions within the Persian Gulf. The sleeves and the collar can be stiffened to give a more formal appearance. Other names may be used for this garment. In Souraqia, dishdasha is the most common word for the garment, and in the UAE, the word kandura is used. In Morocco, the sleeves tend to be much shorter so that the thawb may seem more like a long T-shirt and is locally called gandora. Also the neck tends to be more open than in its Saudi counterpart and is often embroidered as is the breast pocket. Also it might lack buttons altogether.
The term thawb is also used to refer to similar women's garments. The traditional Palestinian woman's long tunic is called thawb. Another example is a very long, over-sized woman's garment with a heavily embroidered front panel and billowing back, also known as a Khaleeji
dress, which is most commonly seen in the West worn for performance of the Saudi
women's social-style dances, in which manipulation of the large thawb is a key component.
This clothing is called Kanzu
in Swahili
, and is commonly worn in East Africa as well.
"عباة" which means a robe.
It is usually worn in ceremonial occasions or by presidents; a "besht" ,"بشت" can be worn in a wedding, Eid, and funerals.
It refers to a status of wealth and royalty, or sometimes a religious position.
It was originally manufactured in Syria, Iraq and Jordan, and it is usually worn in Jordan, Syria, Iraq and the Arabian peninsula.
Robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. A robe is distinguished from a cape or cloak by the fact that it usually has sleeves. The English word robe derives from Middle English robe , borrowed from Old French robe , itself taken from the Frankish word *rouba , and is related to the word rob...
. It is commonly worn in Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
countries. An Izaar
Izaar
An izaar is a lower undergarment usually worn under a thawb or sometimes worn by itself by men. It is commonly worn by itself by men in Somalia, Egypt and Bangladesh. It is also commonly worn by itself by Arabs at home....
is commonly worn underneath.
Background
The word thawb is the standard Arabic word for 'a garment'. It is the traditional Arab dress for men. It is sometimes spelled thobe or thaub. It is a tunic, generally long. The word is used specifically for this garment in Arab states of the Persian Gulf. There has been some debate regarding the correct length of the thawb. Shorter length represents modesty, while longer represents royalty, status and wealth.Prevalence
The thawb is commonly worn by men in the Arabian PeninsulaArabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, Egypt, Jordan,Iraq and other Muslim countries. It is normally made of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, but heavier materials such as sheep's wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
can also be used, especially in colder seasons. The style of the thawb varies slightly among the various regions within the Persian Gulf. The sleeves and the collar can be stiffened to give a more formal appearance. Other names may be used for this garment. In Souraqia, dishdasha is the most common word for the garment, and in the UAE, the word kandura is used. In Morocco, the sleeves tend to be much shorter so that the thawb may seem more like a long T-shirt and is locally called gandora. Also the neck tends to be more open than in its Saudi counterpart and is often embroidered as is the breast pocket. Also it might lack buttons altogether.
The term thawb is also used to refer to similar women's garments. The traditional Palestinian woman's long tunic is called thawb. Another example is a very long, over-sized woman's garment with a heavily embroidered front panel and billowing back, also known as a Khaleeji
Khaleeji
Khaleeji , Arabic for "of the gulf", can refer to:* Gulf Arabic, a dialect of the Arabic language spoken around the shores of the Persian Gulf.* Anything associated with the Arab states of the Persian Gulf...
dress, which is most commonly seen in the West worn for performance of the Saudi
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
women's social-style dances, in which manipulation of the large thawb is a key component.
This clothing is called Kanzu
Kanzu
A kanzu is a white or cream colored robe worn by men in East African countries. In English, the robe is called a tunic. In Arab countries this clothing is known as Thawb. The kanzu is an ankle or floor length garment. The kanzu is the national costume of Tanzania, and the Comoros, and it is worn...
in Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, and is commonly worn in East Africa as well.
Other Occasions
A thawb or thaub can sometimes be worn with what is known as "besht" or in other parts of the Arabian PeninsulaArabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
"عباة" which means a robe.
It is usually worn in ceremonial occasions or by presidents; a "besht" ,"بشت" can be worn in a wedding, Eid, and funerals.
It refers to a status of wealth and royalty, or sometimes a religious position.
It was originally manufactured in Syria, Iraq and Jordan, and it is usually worn in Jordan, Syria, Iraq and the Arabian peninsula.
See also
- Islam and clothingIslam and clothingAdherents of Islam are concerned with clothing in two contexts: clothing for everyday wear, inside and outside the house; and clothing required in specifically religious contexts....
- List of types of sartorial hijab
- JellabiyaJellabiyaThe Jellabiya or Jelabiya in Egypt, "Jelebeeya" in Ethiopia and "Jehllubeeya" in Eritrea) is a traditional Egyptian garment native to the Egypt and the Sudan Nile valley....
- Senegalese kaftanSenegalese kaftanA Senegalese kaftan is a pullover men's robe with long bell sleeves. In the Wolof language, this robe is called a mbubb and in French it is called a boubou. The Senegalese caftan is an ankle length garment. It is worn with matching drawstring pants called tubay. Normally made of cotton brocade,...
- Shalwar KameezShalwar kameezShalwar kameez — or salwar kameez or shalwar qameez — is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in South Asia and Central Asia. Shalwar or salwar are loose pajama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the ankle. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic...