In the past one or two months, the hottest topic on major websites and forums is the 2022 Qatar World Cup. In order to highlight the strength of Middle Eastern countries, Qatar spent more than 200 billion US dollars for the World Cup.
However, in response to a popular saying on the Internet, spend the most money and get beaten the most viciously. In the World Cup opener on November 21, hosts Qatar lost 2-0 to Ecuador, much to the sadness of the Qatari fans in the stands.
At this time, a young prince of Qatar saw his team's sluggish performance and shook his head on the sidelines. The more cute expression bears a resemblance to his own World Cup mascot, La'eeb.
The little prince's emoji soon spread all over the world and was nicknamed by netizens - "The Little Prince of Wonton Skin".
However, when people think of Arabia, they first think of white robes and scarves, just like the mascots of this World Cup.
In fact, the Middle East has a long history and culture, and the traditional clothing of men in different countries is slightly different.
"Middle East" is not a formal geographical term, but generally speaking, the Middle East region includes 17 countries and territories, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Palestine, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Turkey and Cyprus.
As for the "six Gulf countries" and most of the countries in the "Arab" region, they are already included in the Middle East. Some countries, such as Turkey, are geographically part of the Middle East, but they consider themselves Europeans.
The total population of the Middle East is about 500 million, including dozens of ethnic groups, large and small, of which Muslims are the majority.
The region is located in the highlands and deserts, so the climate of many Arab countries is not only hot and dry, but also has a large temperature difference between day and night, and precipitation is very small, and the maximum temperature can reach more than 45 degrees Celsius between June and August every year.
That's why this year's World Cup in Qatar will be held in November, because the sun is long, the temperature is high, and the white can reflect the strong sun's rays.
In the desert area, there is a lot of wind and sand, and robes and veils can block the wind and sand, and at the same time can prevent excessive evaporation of water in the human body, so Arabs wear white robes and headscarves.
Many people think that the traditional dress of Arab men is the same, but in fact, Arab clothing, including headscarves, is slightly different in details.
Through these nuances, we can more easily distinguish the different Arab men in the Gulf region.
From left to right, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia
Arabian robes are the traditional clothing of Arab men, with men mostly wearing white robes and women mostly wearing black robes. The color of the headscarf is mainly white, in addition to white there are also decors.
In terms of material, Arabic robes are generally made of fabrics with relatively high comfort, such as cotton and linen, silk, etc.
For example, the traditional clothing of male residents of the State of Qatar, the host country of this World Cup, is white robes made of silk and cotton fabric. The neckline and cuffs are partially wide, and occasionally there are shirt pockets or long tassels (tassels: a drooping tassel made of multicolored feathers or silk thread, etc.).
Compared to the traditional robes of other Arab countries, the robes of Qataris will appear whiter (cold white).
I don't know if you have noticed that the little prince of Qatar, who is on fire all over the Internet, wears a turban that is rolled up from both sides on the top of his head and is clamped with a black circle on the back of his head.
The black circle with the hoop on the head is called igal. In the past, Arabs lived in tents in the desert, and there were many camels on the side of the tents, and black circles were used to tie camel legs, and now they are used to press headscarves.
This is a special hijab method that distinguishes Qataris from other Arab countries, and its scientific name is COBRA (Cobra System).
Those who have worn ties should know that some people often tie their ties a few more knots in order to show that they are special, which can make them look different, but the "handicapped party" simply cannot do it alone.
COBRA is a troublesome and rigid method of bandana, and Qatari ancestors were inspired by cobras to create this special way of wearing headscarves.
Although it is more complicated at the time, it is definitely unforgettable, which may be a key factor in the fact that the little prince of Qatar can quickly spread throughout the Internet.
Unlike Qatar's opener defeat to Ecuador, Saudi Arabia made history by defeating Argentina, the "Pampas Eagle". The traditional robes of Saudi Arabian men are slightly different from those of Qatar.
Saudi robes usually have four types: flat collar sleeves, flat collar sleeves, shirt collar flat sleeves and shirt collar sleeves, which are basically the same as the robe styles of Iraqi men, the only difference is that there is a fold on the chest, which plays a decorative embellishment.
The Saudis' robes are usually fitted (slim) perfectly, with two buttons on the collar and cufflinks on the sleeves of the shirt.
Since the Saudis like to use red and white checked headscarves, there is a clear difference in color from the white turbans used in other Arab countries.
So everyone will see a Middle Eastern man wearing a slim white robe and a red and white turban on his head, and he is most likely from Saudi Arabia.
As for the other Rab countries, the more alternative representative is Iran. Most men in this country wear black robes, or tunics, that do not exceed the knees, waist to above the feet, and black headscarves.
During festivals, Iran's upper aristocracy or rich people also wear capes, looking radiant and manly. The capes come in a wide variety of colors and are of different quality.
It is worth mentioning that Iranian men do not wear ties when wearing suits, and the white shirts in the suits are generally small standing collars, and the collar buttons are mostly dark.
The football teams of the above three Middle Eastern countries have all entered the World Cup, and most of the compatriots in the remaining Middle Eastern countries, like us, can only watch the World Cup at home and through TV.
Of course, the traditional clothing of men in these countries is also different.
Omanis, one of the "Six Gulf States", is usually dressed collarlessly, with short, loose tassels above the chest. The most representative accessory of the Omanis is the hat, and only the Omanis in the Gulf region use hats (masa hats) instead of turbans and do not wear headbands.
The color of the massa hat is graded, mostly white or plain, and the royal family members use red, blue, and yellow as the base of the special products, and others are banned.
In addition to traditional clothing, Omanis also wear waist knives, a traditional practice that dates back at least 2,000 years.
Originally used as a weapon for self-defense, Omani waist knives have gradually become a precious ornament and national custom. They feel that only wearing a waist knife can show the chivalrous and mighty spirit of a man, and a man who does not wear a waist knife is not a good man.
At the same time, wearing a waist knife is also a sign that boys grow into adults. To this day, some tribes still hold a ceremony for a boy when he reaches the age of 15 to congratulate him.
In Oman, the waist knife is a symbol of the country, and its pattern is painted on the national coat of arms, and the map of Oman also resembles a waist knife. Now young Omani have developed a new way of shouldering a waist knife, some of which are pinned directly to a belt embroidered with gold and silver thread, or inserted into a special wide belt on the chest.
Whenever young Omani men sing and dance, they often dance with their waist knives. To take the sword from the master is the harshest lesson and the greatest insult to the master.
Some men in Egypt, Libya and Algeria wear no headscarves or massa hats, but only a red or black Turkish style tall felt hat wrapped under a white cloth.
The traditional robes of these countries differ little, with white scarves or loose white hats and white wool cloaks.
The Berbers in the Sahara Desert are called "veil-wearers" because their men like to wear veils, even when eating or sleeping, which is relatively rare in other Islamic countries.
Berber men in the Kabili Mountains love to wear floral clothes and do not wear veils. Tuareg men in the Ahagar plateau prefer to cover their heads with a blue veil.
Therefore, according to the different regions of the north and south, the clothing of these countries is obviously different. Many of the new generation of men may not wear robes several times a year, mostly suits and shoes, and their clothes are more modern.
Fashionable people dye their hair and wear trendy brands are also everywhere.
Compared with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and other countries have less rigid rules on traditional clothing.
And the clothes of Emirati men usually have no collar, a long tassel on the clothes, often embroidered with matching embroidery on the sleeves, and the headscarf is simply draped over the shoulders, which looks comfortable and looks clean and tidy.
In the UAE, if the middle button of the white robe is gold, it means that he is a member of the royal family. The dark lines on the clothes and some of the sides can be seen to be of different tribes.
As for which Arab country is the most particular about traditional male clothing, it is Kuwait. The robes worn by Kuwaiti men are known for their high-quality fabrics.
The traditional robes of Kuwaiti men have only a row of buttons, which look more sleek and fit the body.
The bandana is fastened to the shoulders in a symmetrical length, and the ends are tied to the top of the head. From the front, the Kuwaiti turban takes on a left-right balanced pattern, similar to a scale.
Some people will ask: At the just-concluded men's basketball world preliminaries, I saw some Middle Eastern men wearing similar shirt styles, which country were they? Is this white shirt also a traditional dress of the country?
Yes, this is the traditional dress of the Bahrainis. From the outside, it looks a lot like a white double-necked shirt, with a collar, it looks looser, and even has shirt pockets, which is very different from the Arab male robe we remember.
In fact, this white shirt-style clothing is indeed the traditional clothing of Bahraini men, and Bahrainis are also one of the few Arab countries that do not wear traditional robes.
In addition, Jordan often wears a suit with a red turban for formal occasions. Palestinian men usually wear black-and-white checkered headscarves, a bit like "rice dumplings", which are unique to Palestine, and even now have another meaning: support for Palestine.
There are also Iraqis who do not wear white robes, prefer to wear suits, or plaid shirts, often use red and white checkered headscarves, the tying method is more chaotic, there is no fixed style, Syria and Iraq are similar.
All in all, the Arab nation, with its long history, splendid culture and traditional customs, has given birth to traditional costumes unique to the region.
Arabian robes are traditional clothing in Arab countries, and both princes and nobles and ordinary people like to wear this traditional clothing.
Despite the rapid development of the Arab world today, people's preference for traditional dressed robes has not changed, which they consider to be a respect for traditional culture, and anyone in these countries can wear it because it is a national symbol.
Therefore, the seemingly simple robe actually has a lot of attention to it.
Bibliography:
[1] A Variety of Arabic Robes, Rural World, No. 11, 2002
[2] Arabian Robe A Symbol of National and Cultural Identity Unchanged for a Thousand Years, by Ma Hebin, Civilization 2014.09
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