Silk and linen cloak – Iraq

Object Features  

This is a woven cloak (izar

Izār: (Arabic: azar: to support and strengthen, synonyms: wizrah Wizrah: (Arabic: small garment, synonyms: izār, wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India., wizār, fūṭah, sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India.

) / (mlayah

Mlāyah: (Arabic; Synonym: ‘izār, çarsaf, sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

), a light silk or silk body covering or wrap often worn by women in public.

) / (çarşaf / sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

) in shades of ivory woven with silk and thin linen (gauze Gauze: (English), very fine wire mesh transparent fabric of silk, linen, or cotton.). It is a stitched panel of (selvedge Selvedge: (English: Self-finished edge or self-edge: a dialect forming transition), an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling. Traditionally the term selvage applied to only loom woven fabric, presently it could be applied to flat knitted fabric too. ) to selvedge Selvedge: (English: Self-finished edge or self-edge: a dialect forming transition), an edge produced on woven fabric during manufacture that prevents it from unravelling. Traditionally the term selvage applied to only loom woven fabric, presently it could be applied to flat knitted fabric too.  woven fabric with a series of knotted fringes from loose threads at its (warp Warp: One of the two basic components used in weaving which transforms thread or yarns to a piece of fabric. The warp is the set of yarns stretched longitudinally in place on a loom before the weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads. is introduced during the weaving process. ) ends. 

The silk warp Warp: One of the two basic components used in weaving which transforms thread or yarns to a piece of fabric. The warp is the set of yarns stretched longitudinally in place on a loom before the weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads. is introduced during the weaving process.  over linen (weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads.) produces a series of wide chequered panels. Two identical pieces of fabric are hand stitched along their weft Weft: one of the two basic components used in weaving that transforms thread or yarns into a piece of fabric. It is the crosswise thread on a loom that is passed over and under the warp threads. edges to each other to form a stitched version of the izar

Izār: (Arabic: azar: to support and strengthen, synonyms: wizrah Wizrah: (Arabic: small garment, synonyms: izār, wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India., wizār, fūṭah, sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India.

which originally used to be two separate fabrics draped over the body one like a skirt covering the waist and beneath and the other covering the torso.  

While referred to as the çarşaf / sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

in Syria, it is important to note that this term originates from Ottoman Turkic and literally translates to 'bed sheet'. In Ottoman Turkey, the Arab cloak, or (‘abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht Bisht: (Arabic: bjd or bjād: cloak, Akkadian: bishtu or Persian: back, pl. bshūt synonyms: ‘Abā,‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by men. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function.), was also called çarşaf.  

It's worth mentioning that while the ‘abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht Bisht: (Arabic: bjd or bjād: cloak, Akkadian: bishtu or Persian: back, pl. bshūt synonyms: ‘Abā,‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by men. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function. is a sewn garment, the çarşaf is often unstitched. Although stitched çarşaf such as this also existed it was not the same as the ‘abayah  ‘Abāyah: (Arabic: cloak, Pl. ‘abāyāt, or ‘Ibī. In Classical Arabic: ‘abā’ah, pl: ‘abā’āt, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., bisht Bisht: (Arabic: bjd or bjād: cloak, Akkadian: bishtu or Persian: back, pl. bshūt synonyms: ‘Abā,‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, dafah Daffah : (Arabic: side, synonyms: ‘Abā, ‘abāyah, ‘abāh, ‘abāt, bisht or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by men. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function., or mishlaḥ), long, wide, and sleeveless outer cloak worn in public by both sexes. In time this article of dress evolved and changed in shape, style, and function.. It is intriguing to observe how this Turkic term has evolved into a colloquial expression in the Arab region especially in Syria, likely due to its historical connection to the Ottoman Empire. 

Furthermore, owing to the extensive Arabic vocabulary, there exist regional variations in terminologies for the same garment. While some references identify the complete ensemble as a çarşaf / sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

, others assert that the torso covering is the çarşaf and the skirt is the izar

Izār: (Arabic: azar: to support and strengthen, synonyms: wizrah Wizrah: (Arabic: small garment, synonyms: izār, wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India., wizār, fūṭah, sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India.

. The latter group tends to refer to the entire ensemble as (mlayah

Mlāyah: (Arabic; Synonym: ‘izār, çarsaf, sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

), a light silk or silk body covering or wrap often worn by women in public.

) such as in North Africa, particularly in Egypt. However, within the Iraqi parlance the entire ensemble, in set or singular, is termed as an izar

Izār: (Arabic: azar: to support and strengthen, synonyms: wizrah Wizrah: (Arabic: small garment, synonyms: izār, wizār, fūṭah), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India., wizār, fūṭah, sharshaf

Sharshaf: (Ottoman Turkic: çarsaf – bed sheet; Synonym: mlaya, mlyaya, sharsaf), a set of large cloth usually used as a body wrap by women in public.

), refers to a loincloth wrapped around the lower half of the body, between the navel and the knee. Known in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea), Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and countries in some parts of East Africa and in India.

. 

Moreover, comparable drapes are frequently observed among the women of North African nations like Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia. While the fabrics, weaves, and even dimensions may vary from those in the Levant, they are similarly draped around the body, secured by belts and sizable fibula brooches. 

Links 

• Zieme, Peter. Silk and Wad in Old Turkish Terminology. - Turkdilleri.Org, www.turkdilleri.org/turkdilleri/sayilar/tda7/PZieme.pdf 
• Vogelsang-Eastwood, Gillian. Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.  
• Stillman, Yedida Kalfon, and Norman A. Stillman. Arab Dress: From the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times. Brill, 2003.  
• Scarce, Jennifer. Womens Costume of the near and the Middle East. RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.  
• Rubens, Alfred. A History of Jewish Costume. 1981.