Keffiyeh

The keffiyeh or kufiyya (kūfīyya), also known in Arabic as a ghutrah (غُترَة), shemagh (شُمَاغ ), or (حَطَّة), is a traditional headdress worn by men from parts of the Middle East. It is fashioned from a square scarf, and is usually made of cotton. The keffiyeh is commonly found in arid regions, as it provides protection from sunburn, dust and sand. An agal is often used by Arabs to keep it in place. It is believed to have originated from the Sumerian civilization in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). As well as Arabs, Kurds and Yazidis also wear this headpiece. Iraqi Turkmen also wear the headpiece, and call it Jamadani. During his sojourn with the Marsh Arabs of Iraq, Gavin Young noted that the local sayyids—"venerated men accepted [...] as descendants of the Prophet Muhammad and Ali ibn Abi Talib"—wore dark green keffiyeh (cheffiyeh) in contrast to the black-and-white checkered examples typical of the area's inhabitants. File:Yazidism08.jpg|[[Yazidi]] men wearing the keffiyeh File:Muharram in cities and villages of Iran-342 16 (155).jpg|Iranian children wearing the keffiyeh during a religious gathering in Iran; keffiyeh has only a religious usage in Iran. Palestinian keffiyeh Traditionally worn by Palestinian farmers, the keffiyeh became worn by Palestinian men of any rank and became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism during the Arab Revolt of the 1930s. Its prominence increased during the 1960s with the beginning of the Palestinian resistance movement and its adoption by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The black-and-white fishnet pattern keffiyeh would later become Arafat's iconic symbol, and he would rarely be seen without it; only occasionally would he wear a military cap, or, in colder climates, a Russian-style ushanka hat. Arafat would wear his keffiyeh in a semi-traditional way, wrapped around his head via an agal. He also wore a similarly patterned piece of cloth in the neckline of his military fatigues. Early on, he had made it his personal trademark to drape the scarf over his right shoulder only, arranging it in the rough shape of a triangle.