Clothing of the Middle East
Thawb An ankle-length garment, usually long sleeves, similar to a robe. It is perfectly suited for hot climate. It is light-weight and breathes easily. Females also wear a thawb, however the neck and front can be embroidered and decorated with beads.
Keffiyeh A traditional headdress of the Middle East, made of a square cloth, folded and wrapped into various styles around the head. Some wrap the keffiyeh into a turban, while others wear it loosely draped around the back and shoulders. It provides protection from the sun, as well as occasional use in protecting the mouth and eyes from blowing dust and sand. Another form is called a ghutra.
Agal A thick, doubled, black cord that holds the keffiyeh in place. Some men may choose not to wear the agal. This item originated as a tool to train and control camels as a whip. It was additionally used as an impromtu parking break for the camel, which was slipped over a front knee to prevent from running off when no stable or tie-off was available.
Women Dress While clothing for men in the Middle East were more for practical reasons, the way women dress is different. Muslim women are excepted to dress modestly; depending on the region/area/state that can vary.
Hijāb This is the distinctive headscarf that is tied tightly around the head and tucked in the back to conceal the hair while also covering part of the forehead, but leaving the face unveiled. The Islamic meaning of the word hijāb actually means modesty and refers to the responsibility men and women have to retain their modesty by preventing physical attraction from the opposite sex.
Niqāb A viel that covers the face. Some women in the Middle East wear a veil as part of the hijāb, while others do not.
Burqa A different style of the niqāb, the burqa is composed of many yards of light material pleated around the cap and fits over the top of the head. There is an embroidered grille where the burqa passes over the eyes. The outer garment cloaks the entire body. It is worn over daily clothing and is removed when the woman returns to the sanctuary of the household. It is almost solely found in Afghanistan and certain areas of Pakistan and India.
Geography Of the Arabian Peninsula
Desert
Desert ¾ of the Arabian peninsula is desert Droughts can last months, even years Temperatures can reach over 120 degrees, at night temperatures can drop below freezing Annual rainfall stays below 3-4 inches Food: milk, yogurt, meat and use pillows made of sand The Ship of the Desert: the camel
Ships of the Desert
Oases
Oases A place in the desert where you can find water Grew peaches, dates, and grains Water is trapped underground Animals can re-fuel Vegetation provide fruits, grain, and other foods Palm trees provide shade Used palm trees for their houses, palm leaves were weaved for roof thatches, trunks were hollowed out and used as irrigation pipes, fuel for fires, fibers from the palms were used to make rope
Dates
Coastal Plain
Coastal Plain Plenty of rain which is suitable for farming A great place for trading; however there were few natural harbors Air is damp In the 6 th century most people were farmers introduced the mountains Runs along the west of the peninsula Ranges from 5-40 miles inland Collected fragrant tree sap for perfumes, incense, and medicine When the plain ended it ended at sharp clifs that Many trading cities
Mountains
Mountains Used run-off from the mountains in irrigations systems to water their crops Created things called terraces to plant on the side of mountains Stored water in underground storage containers, leather bags, and hollowed out trees The grew fruits like melons and pomegranates Arabic mountain ranges run across the western and southern edges of the peninsula. Moist winds from the Indian ocean would bring up to 20 inches of rain fall Rose as high as 1,000-12,000 feet above a sea level
Terraces
Space Archeology Look at the next picture and try to determine what it is.
Space Archaeology As you will read, in 1984 the space shuttle Challenger used radar equipment to beam down microwaves to the southern Arabian Peninsula and digitally record any signals that bounced back. The previous slide is what they got. Beneath the desert sand was centuries of beaten-down tracks of trade caravans.