What clothes did people in the early Islamic civilisation wear?

How did people dress in the early Islamic civilisation?

Woman praying in a mosque in Saudia Arabia. — Image caption,
In the early Islamic civilisation, women wore long tunics and headscarves or veils, a tradition continued in the modern day by some Muslim women.

In the early Islamic civilisation, people dressed modestly, meaning they wore loose clothes that covered the body.

Men wore long robes and wrapped turbans, a long piece of cloth wrapped around the head. Women wore long tunics and headscarves or veils.

Rich people could afford fancy fabrics like silk (a smooth, shiny cloth made from silkworms) and damask (cloth with patterns on it, often shiny and smooth).

Poor people wore plain wool clothes and fewer layers.

Clothes were made from linen, cotton and wool.

Important words

Important words about clothes in the early Islamic Civilisation.

Keyword	Definition
Caliph	A leader in Islam.
Damask	Cloth with patterns on it, often shiny and smooth.
Embroidery	Patterns or writing sewn onto fabric using thread.
Modest	Clothing that covers the body in a way that is respectful.
Silk	A smooth, shiny cloth made from silkworms.
Trade	Buying, selling and exchanging goods.
Turban	A long piece of cloth wrapped around the head.

What did people wear?

A man wearing a thawb and taqiyah. — Image caption,
A man wearing a modern day thawb (long tunic) and taqiyah (cap).

In the early Islamic civilisation, it was traditional to dress modestly and cover the body. It was disrespectful if your clothing trailed on the ground or if your undergarments were past the ankle in length.

Men started wearing a long one-piece garment with sleeves called a thawb.

Men would often cover their heads with a turban. One reason for this was to protect them from the hot weather.

Women wore long tunics (qamīs) that reached the ankles and were made of linen or silk for wealthy women.

Many women wore a headscarf or a veil to cover their faces.

Trade brought fabrics from other parts of the Islamic Empire.

Rich people could afford damask fabric (named after Damascus in Syria) which was a patterned silk.

Poor people would have worn cheaper materials such as wool and would have worn fewer layers.

During the Abbasid Caliphate (AD751 - 1258), black robes became important for special events.

Court officials wore black for ceremonies.

Black became a popular colour for clothes because it showed wealth and high status.

What were clothes made from?

A silk loom. — Image caption,
Silk was a luxury fabric and came from as far away as China and Persia.

The weather in cities like Baghdad was hot and dry, so people needed clothes that kept them cool and protected them from the sun.

Most clothes were made from linen, cotton and wool.

Shoes and sandals were made of leather.

Traders in the early Islamic civilisation introduced new fabrics from around the world, from countries like China.

These included silk which was very expensive.

Because the Islamic Empire was so big, these fabrics travelled long distances, making early Baghdad full of different types of clothes and styles.

Fabrics Traded to Baghdad Around AD 900:

Fabric	Where it came from
Brocade	Persia (Iran)
Cotton	India
Damask	Damascus (Syria)
Silk	China

Special fabrics and perfumes

A piece of textile from the late 9th–early 10th century showing a tiraz. — Image caption,
An example of a tiraz from the late 9th–early 10th century.

A tiraz was a piece of fabric sewn onto robes with writing on it such as a ruler's name.

The word tiraz comes from a Persian word that means 'embroidery' (patterns or writing sewn onto fabric using thread).

Important people who worked for the Caliph (leader) wore these robes to show they were respected.

They were worn as bands and sewn onto robes.

A tiraz could be made of linen, wool or cotton.

Some were dyed yellow, green or brown.

Image caption,
An Islamic glass perfume bottle from the 8th - 9th Century.

Perfumes were very popular, especially for rich people.

People used spices and oils to make perfume.

They were made from ingredients like roses, orange blossoms and water lilies.

Scientist Al-Kindi carried out experiments to work out ways of creating perfumes with plants and oils.

He wrote a book full of perfume recipes.

Perfume could be used on clothes, hair and as part of religious ceremonies.

They were often stored in beautifully crafted glass bottles.

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