Moroccan kaftan

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Old style Kaftan from Rabat

Moroccan kaftan (Arabic: قفطان, qafṭān, Berber: ⵇⴼⵟⴰⵏ, French: Caftan) is a traditional Moroccan outfit. In the form of a long tunic, in general with long sleeves, worn with a belt () which can be extended under a lot of styles and colors. The Moroccan kaftan results from the expertise of craftsmen and dressmakers (). Under Amazigh influence and Andalusian cultures,[citation needed] it has become also a part of the booming Moroccan textile sector, which accounts for 30% of the country's industrial employment and 15% of its exports.[1] The kaftan is considered one of the Amazigh ethnic clothing, as its origins go back to pre-Islamic times and it was known as the Amazigh origin of Morocco in particular before it spread during the time of the Almohad dynasty.

It is considered to be the ultimate formal attire for Moroccan women during ceremonies (weddings, baptisms, religious festivals). Moroccan stylists have modernized the traditional kaftan by adapting it to the particularities of the current era[1] The Moroccan kaftan has gained popularity after being introduced by major clothing lines, and stylists, through prestigious fashion shows, such as the Oriental Fashion Show[2] during "Fashions week " around the world; as well as the promotion work of Moroccan magazines like "Femmes du Maroc" (Moroccan Ladies).

Nowadays, the Moroccan kaftan popularity has exceeded the country's Amazighs. It is exported in large quantities abroad.

History[]

In the Presence of the Sultan of Morocco (13th century), In this miniature, the Moroccan Emperor and Almohad caliph Abu Hafs Omar Al-Murtada appears in a caftan embroidered with the sififa (half collar), taking advice in his court in Marrakesh from his entourage the day after he received the ambassadors of Castile, Contemporary photography from the 13th-century manuscript "Las Cantigas de Santa Maria", preserved in the Escorial Museum, Madrid, Spain.
Chérifa Lalla-Messaouda a political figure and mother of the Saadi dynasty sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. 16th century

In Morocco, the kaftan is a very old tradition, deeply rooted in the country's clothing habits. Indeed, this dress appeared in the 13th century at the time of the Marinid dynasty,[3][4] when it was worn by Moroccan royalty.[5] Ibn Khaldun referred to the Marinid sultans' "dar-al-tiraz", which he called a Marinid innovation.[6] Its name and distant roots are said to be found in the Persian heritage introduced to Morocco and al-Andalus by Muslim conquerors. However, the evolution and the feminization of this habit in Morocco made it a very different garment from the Persian and Ottoman caftans.

From the beginning of the 13th century, there were 3,096 weavers in the city of Fez.[7][8] Sultans of the Marinid dynasty of Morocco sent brocade caftans as gifts to each new sultan of the Ottoman Empire, which a Moroccan source claims to be the first kaftans worn by the Ottoman sultans, however a more reliable source highlights that it was the Seljuks who had been wearing kaftans since the 11th century who gifted kaftans to the first Ottoman Sultan.[9][10][11][12] During the Saadi dynasty (1554-1636AD), the kaftan may have been introduced by the Saadi King Abd al-Malik who had spent most of his life in the Ottoman Empire and ruled Morocco as a vassal of the Ottomans. [13][14][15][16] A new type of kaftan was introduced by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur that took the name Al-Mansouria in reference to his name.[17] It was in his era the kaftan was widely adopted by the general public.

Types and styles[]

The kaftan has become a masterpiece for Moroccan city dwellers. Carved from beautiful materials imported from Europe, and worn by dignitaries (men) and the notables of the great Moroccan cities including Fez and Meknes.

Originally, only the sultans and their wives had the privilege of obtaining such an expensive garment, since the seamstresses spent months shaping it, embroidering it, beading it by hand, in noble weavings and with gold and silver thread.

The kaftan, commonly worn by Moroccan men and women, is an everyday garment. However, the holiday one was enriched with trimmings of gold and silver threads.

All city dwellers had to wear their kaftan in the afternoon. They met in their homes or on the terraces of houses to exchange their impressions on things or just to get occupied with their hobbies such as embroidery.

The caftan texture can be extracted from sheet, velvet, brocaded silk, sateen or cotton, textiles which are made locally or imported from Europe or the Orient for the rarest. In the XVIIth century, during the reign of Moulay Ismaïl, the merchants of the big cities brought in large quantities of fine silk and wool sheets, of all colors and all kinds, such as brocade, velvet, striped or plain taffeta and scarlet.

Morocco has preserved its ancestral craftsmanship and expertise such as weaving, embroidery and trimmings like the Ben Cherif family who maintained the back-strap weaving technique, the making of gold and silver thread and embroidery, which is currently experiencing a clear development.

The Moroccan Jewish kaftan, is that of Fez made of gold thread embroidery called "n’taâ".

The Moroccan stylists were able to adapt their skills to the changing times. Today the kaftan is designed to be more tight and cut closer to the body, to better fit the silhouette, as a result, it has become a modern and elegant garment, easy to wear, but adorned with a prestige that derives its origins from the legendary past. It remains the privileged item of clothing for Moroccan women, whether young or old. The Moroccan caftan is now a skillful combination of elegance, refinement and comfort, yet the past is not denied.

Moroccan kaftans can be worn on special or official occasions, depending on the used materials.[18]

Moroccan caftan in the Ottoman Empire[]

The history of textile production in Turkey dates back to the Ottoman period. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, textile production was widespread and very advanced. Until the fall of the empire, the Ottoman industry was heavily dependent on textile production, it was a clear indication for the importance of the sector.[19][20] Though the Ottoman Empire did not extend to Morocco, the sultans of the Marinid dynasty sent luxurious gifts to the Ottoman sultans.[21] The name of Morocco was associated with the name of Fez (in Turkish: Fas); the Ottomans welcomed the silk caftan and named it ,up to the present , Fas Kaftanlar (or Fas Kaftanı, or Fas Kaftanları).[22]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Fakim, Nora (2016-12-27). "Kaftans that liberate Moroccan women". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  2. ^ "Le caftan marocain à l'Oriental Fashion Show à Paris". Quid.ma (in French). Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  3. ^ "Le Caftan, un voyage dans les dédales d'une histoire millénaire". Atlasinfo (in French). 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  4. ^ "Le raffinement du caftan marocain en vedette à Montréal". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  5. ^ "Le caftan marocain, chef d'oeuvre de l'artisanat". Vicedi: Voyager comme Ulysse (in French). 2015-04-09. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  6. ^ LE TOURNEAU, Roger (1949). Fès avant le protectorat. Étude économique et sociale d'une ville de l'occident musulman. Paris: Publications de l` institut des haute etudes marocaines. p. 348. ASIN B008CGBW6A.
  7. ^ الجزنائى, على (1991). جنى زهرة الآس في بناء مدينة فاس علي الجزنائي (in Arabic). المطبعة الملكية. p. 44. ISBN 9773410323.
  8. ^ Doris, Behrens-Abouseif (2006). Vernoit, Stephen (ed.). Islamic art in the 19th century, Tradition, Innovation and Eclecticism. Netherlands: Brill N.V. p. 171. ISBN 9004144420.
  9. ^ Dressed to Rule: Royal and Court Costume from Louis XIV to Elizabeth II Philip Mansel Yale University Press,
  10. ^ Journal of Seljuk studies, Volume 3. P.101. Selçuklu Tarih ve Medeniyeti Enstitüsü.
  11. ^ Selçuk-nâme, Volume 2 Ahmed bin Mahmud (Bursalı) Tercüman Gazetesi,
  12. ^ Abd ELhadi Tazi (1988). التاريخ الدبلوماسي للمغرب (L'histoire diplomatique du Maroc) [Volume7] (in Arabic). p. 226.
  13. ^ "Kaftan". museumwnf.org.
  14. ^ Algerians in Tetouan|الجزائريون في تطوان,p 127.
  15. ^ Barletta, Vincent (2010-05-15). Death in Babylon: Alexander the Great and Iberian Empire in the Muslim Orient: Pages 82 and 104. University of Chicago Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-226-03739-4.
  16. ^ Langues et littératures, Volume 1Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines
  17. ^ كريم, عبد الكريم (2006). .المغرب في عهد الدولة السعدية الدكتور عبد الكريم كريم (in Arabic). Rabat-Morocco: Moroccan historians association. p. 305.
  18. ^ "Traditional Clothing | Kaftan and Djellaba | Morocco Guide". Morocco-guide.co. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  19. ^ "Turkish Textile History Textile in Ottoman Empire". Londonist Textile. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  20. ^ Yalav-Heckeroth, Feride. "A History Of Fashion In The Ottoman Empire". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
  21. ^ Tazi, Abdel Hadi. التاريخ الدبلوماسي للمغرب (Diplomatic history of Morocco) (in Arabic). p. 226.
  22. ^ "Fas'ın büyülü kaftanları | Kültür | Lacivert Dergi". www.lacivertdergi.com. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
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