Crowned in Culture – Part I: North Africa’s Regal Headwear

This is the first in a five-part series exploring Africa’s rich headwear traditions. Beginning in North Africa, we uncover the stories behind turbans, chechias, fezzes, and veils—garments that serve as practical protection and powerful symbols of identity, faith, and dignity.

Tagelmust / Cheche (Tuareg Litham) – Also known as the cheche, originates from the Tuareg (Berber) peoples of the central Sahara and is widely worn across Saharan and Sahelian groups. It is a long veil or turban made of cotton, often dyed intense indigo, wrapped around the head and face to serve as a head covering and protective veil. Typically several meters in length, it is worn primarily by Tuareg men as defense against the harsh desert winds, sand, and sun, while also acting as a powerful symbol of identity and social status. The indigo dye, which can rub off onto the skin, has given rise to the Tuareg’s poetic nickname, the “Blue Men of the Sahara.”

Fez / Tarboosh – Named after the Moroccan city of Fès, it has its origins in Ottoman-influenced North Africa and spread widely through Ottoman and medieval trade networks. This brimless felt cap, typically red and shaped like a truncated cone or cylinder with or without a tassel, became a hallmark of urban style, official attire, and pan-Islamic identity. In North Africa, it carried deep associations with authority and cosmopolitanism, though its meaning and usage evolved significantly through colonial encounters and the post-colonial era.

Chechia – Most closely associated with Tunisia but found across the Maghreb - traces its roots to Central Asian and Transoxian influences that spread into North Africa. This soft, low, round cap—resembling a flat beret—is traditionally knitted or felted from wool and dyed a distinctive vermilion red. The Tunisian version is particularly renowned and is often worn alone or beneath a turban, with its production sustained by long-standing artisanal workshops such as those in Souk Ech-Chaouachine in Tunis.

Taqiyah – Widely known in West Africa as the Kufi, it is an Islamic devotional cap with numerous local variations across North and West Africa. This short, rounded skullcap is worn by Muslim men during prayer, everyday life, and special occasions, serving both spiritual and cultural purposes. In West Africa, kufis are often richly decorated with embroidery, intricate knit patterns, or vibrant textiles, transforming the simple skullcap into a marker of religious devotion, cultural pride, and personal style.

Nubian headwraps –  Traditionally worn in the Nile Valley regions of southern Egypt and northern Sudan, they are long, skillfully wrapped cloths that serve both practical and cultural purposes. Often styled in layers or elaborate folds, they protect against the sun while also reflecting elegance and identity. Historically associated with dignity, pride, and heritage, these headwraps are integral to Nubian cultural expression, symbolizing a connection to ancestry and the continuity of traditions passed through generations.

Imamah – A long-established head covering across Islamic lands, firmly rooted in Maghreb and Sahelian societies through centuries of trade and religious exchange. Made from large lengths of cloth wound around the head—often layered over a taqiyah—it is worn by scholars, religious leaders, nomads, and pastoral communities. Styles and names vary by language and culture, but across contexts, the turban serves the dual purpose of shielding against the sun and symbolizing social or religious status.

North Africa’s crowns and veils reveal how headwear can embody both elegance and endurance, shaped by history, faith, and the desert’s quiet strength. From the indigo-wrapped tagelmust to the iconic fez, each piece carries stories of identity and grace. As we journey to West Africa, prepare to meet headwear that dazzles with color and craftsmanship—crowns, caps, and wraps that transform tradition into pure statement style.

North Africa teaches us that true royalty rests not in metal or gem, but in the fabric of identity. - La Djalobienne Eton

Work Cited

• Encyclopedia Britannica. “Fez (Tarboosh).” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/fez-hat.
• Encyclopedia Britannica. “Tarboosh (Headgear).” Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/tarboosh.
• Tagelmust. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagelmust.
• Chechia. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chechia.