| The fez (more correctly ṭarbūsh) is a felt headdress in the shape of a short cylindrical peakless hat, usually red, and sometimes with a tassel attached to the top. It is named after the city of its origins the Moroccan city Fez, the capital of the Kingdom of Morocco until 1927. The modern fez owes much of its popularity to the Ottoman era.Besides ṭarbūsh, the fez can also be defined in Arabic shashia (i)stanbuli.
The fez is often confused with the shashia (or, with French spelling chèchia) which is derived from the Arabic شاشية, shāshiyya. The two types of headgear are quite different: the fez is stiff, conical, and raised in shape, while the shashia is soft and its shape adheres to the top of the head, in the manner of a cap. |
