Dictionary

Kiswah: (Arabic: kiswat al-ka’bah from Arabic: kuswa – robe or apparel), overall covering of the Islamic holy shrine of Ka’ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia woven with dyed silk yarns. It is draped once annually and is accompanied with several other supplementary parts. 

Melmel: (Bengali: Mulmul ; Synonym: Mulmul; Muslin), colloquial term from the UAE & other Gulf countrie, for a fine variety of plain-woven cotton unique to the Gangetic Delta – Ganges, Padma, and Meghna rivers.  

Muslin: (Arabic: Mosul – A city in Iraq, or French: Mousse – Foam; Synonym: Mulmul; Melmel), a fine variety of plain-woven cotton unique to the Gangetic Delta – Ganges, Padma, and Meghna rivers. The term is either a derivative of Mosul, where it exchanged hands or “mousse” due to its lightweight and fluffy texture. 

Mulmul: (Bengali; Synonym: Muslin, Melmel), a fine variety of plain-woven cotton unique to the Gangetic Delta – Ganges, Padma, and Meghna rivers.  

Kummah: (Arabic), a traditional rounded men’s skull cap, with a flat top and inward-folded rim worn by men. Originating in Zanzibar, a former Omani colony, it is typically white, and generally custom made to fit, it features ornate colourful designs with small holes for ventilation. 

Üçetek_entari: (Turkish: Üç – Three; Etek – Skirt; Entari – a type of traditional garment), a long jacket-like traditional Turkish garment for both the sexes but worn primarily by women, with long side slits that divided the skirts into three parts.

Kalabbdūn: (Iraqi Arabic), gold wire used in embroidery and other embellishments on textiles and fabrics.  

Qumbāz: (Arabic; Synonym: sayah, zubūn), long, loose, front open cloak with quarter or no sleeves worn by both sexes, in the Levant and Fertile Crescent. 

Daglah: (Hindi: dagala / dagla – a type of loose outer robe for men), a long wool or silk formal jacket worn by the elite in the Arabian Peninsula over the tunic.  

Sherwani: (Azeri: Shirvan – Region in Azerbaijan), traditional long calf length jacket worn by men in the Indian subcontinent resembling the Turco-Persian garment from the Caucasus region. Evolving from the Central Asian and Persian robes of the Mughal era, it was Anglicized with a stiff Chinese collar and a buttoned-down front.  

Haar: (Hindustani), a long dangling ornamental neckpiece ranging from a proper jewellery like a necklace made of precious metal to a floral garland traditionally worn in the Indian subcontinent by both men and women. 

Jutti: (Punjabi) Traditional Indian loafer style closed slip-on footwear with pointed and curled up toes, with close resemblance to ancient Egyptian footwear. The term is also used colloquially in the UAE.