The outfit of nomadic Qashqai men in southern Fars province has faced many changes during history.

In the 19th century, the ethnic costume of ordinary Qashqai men consisted of a wide-legged trouser (tonban), a collarless shirt (keynak), and a long cloak (arkhaloq) tied with a wide cummerbund (shal or shawl). They wore a felt cloak on their outfit, which is known as Kapanak.

They covered their head with rounded black hat made of felt known as berk. Their costume was always adorned with guns, knives, daggers or swords.

However the costume of a Qashqai khan (a title given to rulers and officials) was different from ordinary men.

Their clothing was composed of a collarless white shirt and a long cloak, which was overlapped in front and a shawl on the waist to keep the cloak tight.

Since mid-19th century, Qashqai men have used a kind of hat known as ‘Dogushi’, which literally means ‘two-eared’.

The hat is made of felt in beige, tan or gray color. The rounded hat has two raised flaps above the ears.

According to Iranica encyclopedia, after the revive of ethnic dresses, which was outlawed by the Reza Shah from 1928 to 1941, the hat became the symbol of revived Qashqai power, autonomy and identity used by all Qashqai men. 

Iranians in different parts of the country were used to wear ethnic costumes in the past. In some regions, people still use traditional dresses. The clothes reveal facts about lifestyle, history and beliefs of the locals.  

SB/MQ/MG