Bisht (clothing)
 Sheikh Chassib, son of Sheikh Khazʿal bin Jaber, Crown Prince of the Emirate of Mohammerah, wearing the adorned bisht affiliated with the clothing, in a picture of 1923. | |
| Type | Arab clothing |
|---|---|
| Material | Camel hair and Goat wool and for the wealthy pure gold thread |
| Place of origin | Arabian peninsula |
| Introduced | 2300 BCE |
A bisht (Arabic: بِشْت; plural: بِشُوت bishūt and بْشُوت bshūt), known in some Arabic spoken dialects as mishlah (Arabic: مِشْلَح, mishlaḥ), is a traditional men’s cloak popular in the Arab world, and worn in general for thousands of years.[1][2]
According to ancient Christian and Hebrew paintings, a similar robe was worn in the days of Jesus by the people of the Levant.
The bisht is a flowing outer cloak worn over a thawb.
Symbol of Arab identity[edit]
A bisht is usually worn for prestige on special occasions such as weddings, or festivals such as Eid, or for Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah or Salat al-Janazah. It is usually worn by secular officials or clergy,[1] including tribal chiefs, kings, and imams over a thawb, kanzu or tunic. It is a status garment, associated with royalty, religious position, wealth, and ceremonial occasions such as weddings, like the black-tie tuxedo[3] in the West.[1][4]
Etymology[edit]
The triliteral root of the word bisht is widely used in Semitic languages, including Arabic, and is related to the Akkadian bishtu, meaning 'nobility' or 'dignity'.[5]
The alternate name of ʿabāʾ (Arabic: عَبَاء) is from the Arabic triliteral root ʿAyn-Bāʾ-Wāw, which relates to 'filling out'.
Colour[edit]
It is usually black, brown, beige, cream or grey in colour. However, there are Bishts which are made in colours like magenta, blue, cyan, and others.[1]
Manufacturing[edit]
Bisht is made from camel's hair and goat wool that is spun and wove into a breathable fabric. Some bisht garments include a trim, known as "zari", made out of silk and metals such as gold and silver.[6]
The fabric has a soft yarn for the summer and the coarse-haired for winter.
In popular culture[edit]
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani placed a bisht on the Argentine captain Lionel Messi before the 35-year-old was handed the trophy.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Al-Mukhtar, Rima (7 November 2012). "Traditional & modern: The Saudi man's bisht". Arab News.
- ^ *Urbanarabian. "B – Sweater – Over Sized Sweater". Urbanarabian. Archived from the original on 2016-09-11. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- Hannah (27 April 2011). "Saudi Arabian Bisht".
- "صانع بشوت الحكام وكبار الشخصيات "البراهيم" لـ"الأحساء نيوز":صنعت بشت الملك فهد وابنه – صحيفة الأحساء نيوز". www.hasanews.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- "الثقافة الشعبية". www.folkculturebh.org.
- "البشت في الخليج العربي". www.abuhaleeqa.net. Archived from the original on 2019-11-15. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ناصر حسين العبّودي (1987). الأزياء الشعبية الرجالية في دولة الإمارات وسلطنة عمان. مركز التراث الشعبي لدول الخليج العربية،. pp. 121, 127, 129.
- ناصر حسين العبّودي (1987). الازياء الشعبية الرجالية في دولة الامارات وسلطنة عمان. pp. 121, 127, 129.
- "الازياء الشعبية الرجالية فى دولة الامارات و سلطنة عمان 3.1.2". Bibliotheca Alexandrina. 4 June 2016.
- "كتاب الازياء الشعبية الرجالية في دولة الإمارات وسلطنة عمان". التبراة : عالم الكتب.
- "PDF document". raya.com (in Arabic). 10 August 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016.
- Najlā Ismāʻīl al-ʻIzzī al-Wahhābī (2003). أزياء قطرية. جمعية الفن الإسلامي،. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-9544445-2-5.
- S. D. Goitein (1983). A Mediterranean Society: Daily life. University of California Press. p. 464. ISBN 978-0-520-04869-0.
- Abū al-Maḥāsin Yūsuf Ibn Taghrībirdī (1960). History of Egypt, 1382-1469 A.D.: 1382-1399 A.D. University of California Press. p. 108.
- ^ "Kate dusts off her Alexander McQueen tuxedo for stunning appearance". Evening Standard. 2020-10-13. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ "A symbol of Arab identity". Gulf News. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ Dr. Ali Fahmi khashim, Akkadian Arabic Dictionary Page 140
- ^ Mahdavi, Pardis. "Lionel Messi's black cloak: a brief history of the bisht, given to the superstar after his World Cup triumph". The Conversation. Retrieved 2022-12-28.