Thawb

{{About|the garment worn by men in the Arab world|the garment worn by women in Palestine|Palestinian Thobe}}

{{Infobox clothing type

|title=Thawb
{{lang|ar|ثَوْب}}

|image_file=Dishdasha.jpg

|caption=Arab men wearing thobes in Salalah, Oman, 2006

|type=Robe

|material= Polyester fabric, wool or cotton

|location= Arabian Peninsula, Levant, North Africa

}}

A thawb,{{efn|alternatively spelled thobe, thaub, or thob}}{{efn|{{langx|ar|ثَوْب|lit=garment}}}} also known as a dishdashah{{efn|{{Langx|ar|دِشْدَاشَة}}}} or a kandura{{efn|{{Langx|ar|كَنْدُورَة}}}} in other varieties of Arabic, is a garment traditionally worn by men in the Arab world. It is a long-sleeved, ankle-length robe that has regional variations in name and style.{{cite journal |url= https://aramco.esiteful.com/Compilations/2016/March-April-2016/The-Gown-That-Steals-Your-Heart.html |title=The Gown That Steals Your Heart|first1=Kay Hardy |last1=Campbell|first2= Leela|last2= Corman |journal= Aramco World |date= March–April 2016 |volume=67 |issue=2 |pages= 24–25}} It can be worn in formal or informal settings, depending on the social and cultural norms in question; thawbs are the main formal attire for men in Saudi Arabia.{{Cite news |date=14 July 2016 |title=Saudi instructs overseas officials to wear national dress |work=Arabian Business |url=https://www.arabianbusiness.com/gcc/saudi-instructs-overseas-officials-wear-national-dress-638531 |access-date=13 September 2023}} Outside of the Arab world, the garment has been adopted in a number of Muslim-majority areas, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, where it is commonly referred to as a jubbah{{Cite web |date=29 August 2012 |title=What was Prophet Muhammad's dress like? |url=https://islamqa.org/hanafi/darulifta-deoband/26590/what-was-prophet-muhammad-s-dress-like/ |website=Islam QA}}{{Cite web |title=Khirqah |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/khirqah |website=Britannica}}{{Cite news |title=The journey of Sufism in India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/vigilantvoicesandpolitical-perspectives/the-journey-of-sufism-in-india-54964/ |website=Times of India}} and is frequently worn by those who regard it as sunnah (i.e., something practiced, spoken, or observed by Muhammad, the founding Islamic prophet) due to its modest appearance.{{Cite web |first= |title=Is the Jubbah a Sunnah? (Darul Uloom Beodand) |url=https://darulifta-deoband.com/home/en/clothing-lifestyle/60508 |website=Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Deoband}}

Etymology

The word thawb ({{Lang|ar|ثَوْب}}) is a Standard Arabic word for "dress" or "garment". It is also romanized as thobe or thaub or thob.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2023-02-02 |title=Everything You Need To Know About Thobes {{!}} Thobe Encyclopaedia |url=https://al-aniq.com/what-are-thobes/ |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=Al-Aniq |language=en-US}}

=Name by locality=

Region/country	Language	Main
class="wikitable"
Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Palestine	Hejazi Arabic, Yemeni Arabic, Najdi Arabic, Bahraini Arabic, Palestinian Arabic	Thawb/Thōb ({{Lang\|ar\|ثوب}})
Levant, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Khuzestan, Yemen (Hadhramaut)	Hadhrami Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Mesopotamian Arabic, Omani Arabic, Kuwaiti Arabic, Ahvazi Arabic	Dishdashah ({{Lang\|ar\|دِشْدَاشَة}})
United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Southeast Asia	Emirati Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Algerian Arabic, Tunisian Arabic, Libyan Arabic	Kandūrah ({{Lang\|ar\|كَنْدُورَة}})/ Gandūrah ({{Lang\|ar\|قَنْدُورَة}})

Regional variations

File:معرض مسقط الدولي للكتاب - نمایشگاه بین المللی کتاب مسقط در کشور عمان 21.jpg

The thawb is commonly worn by men in the Arabian Peninsula. It is normally made with polyester fabric, but heavier materials such as sheep's wool can also be used, especially in colder climates in the Levant.{{cite web |url= http://char.txa.cornell.edu/islamicclothes.htm |title=Islamic Clothing |last=Jirousek |first=Charlotte |publisher=Charlotte Jirousek |date=2004 |website=Art, Design, and Visual Thinking |access-date=May 25, 2019}} The style of the thawb varies between regions. In Iraq, Kuwait, the Levant, and Oman, dishdashah is the most common word for the garment; in the United Arab Emirates and the Maghreb, the word kandura is used. In Pakistan and other parts of the sub-continent, it is often to referred to as a 'Jubbah' and designed in an ornate style in keeping with local traditions.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-13 |title=Thobes and Jubbahs from around the World |url=https://azaarya.com/blogs/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-thobes |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=AZAARYA |language=en}}

= Arabian Peninsula =

In the Arabian Peninsula, thobes are typically made with white or beige polymer fabric, with coloured wool thobes worn in the winter months.{{Cite web |last= Nazaqat | first=Umair |title= Polyester vs Cotton Thobes |url= https://newarabia.co.uk/blogs/news/polyester-vs-cotton-thobes |website=newarabia}} Thobes commonly worn by men and are considered as symbols of national and cultural identity, and are appropriate attire for formal occasions and religious ceremonies. In recent years, the thobes have become a popular fashion item, with many fashion designers adding their own modern twists to the traditional garment.{{cite journal |url= https://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/ars/13441566.0047.013/--omani-mens-national-dress-displaying-personal-taste?rgn=main;view=fulltext |title= Omani Men's National Dress: Displaying Personal Taste, Asserting National Identity |first=Aisa |last=Martinez |journal=Ars Orientalis| date= 2017 |volume=47 |pages= 303–332|doi= 10.3998/ars.13441566.0047.013 }}

File:Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid and Mohammad Al Gergawi during World Government Summit.jpg wearing a winter kandura]]

Thawb sleeves and collars can be stiffened to give a more formal appearance, front pockets and embroidery could be added and placket buttons can be covered, exposed, or replaced by zippers.{{Cite web |last= Al Thawb |title= Why the Middle Eastern Thawb is Comfortable and Should be in Every Wardrobe|url= https://althawb.co.uk/al-thawb-blog/why-the-middle-eastern-thawb-is-comfortable-and-should-be-in-every-wardrobe |website= AlThawb.co.uk}} In the UAE and Oman, men's thobes have no collar, use frog closures as placket fasteners, and include tassels;{{Cite web |last= Thobe Company |title= Emirati Thobes: A symbol of UAE's rich cultural heritage |url= http://thobecompany.com/emirati-thobes-a-symbol-of-uaes-rich-cultural-heritage-everything-you-need-to-know/ |website=thobecompany.com|date= 18 April 2024 }} in Oman, tassels tend to be short, and in the UAE tassels extend to the waist.{{Cite web |last= Thobe Company |title= Emirati Thobes: A Symbol of UAE's Rich Cultural Heritage |url= http://thobecompany.com/emirati-thobes-a-symbol-of-uaes-rich-cultural-heritage-everything-you-need-to-know/ |website=thobecompany.com|date= 18 April 2024 }}{{cite journal |url= https://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/ars/13441566.0047.013/--omani-mens-national-dress-displaying-personal-taste?rgn=main;view=fulltext |title= Omani Men's National Dress: Displaying Personal Taste, Asserting National Identity |first=Aisa |last=Martinez |journal=Ars Orientalis| date= 2017 |volume=47 |pages= 303–332|doi= 10.3998/ars.13441566.0047.013 }}

Cultural significance

A thawb is sometimes worn with a bisht ({{lang|ar|بِشْت}}), also known in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula as a mishlah ({{lang|ar|مِشْلَح}}) or ʿabāʾ ({{lang|ar|عَبَاء}}), meaning 'cloak'. It is usually worn on ceremonial occasions or by officials. A bisht is usually worn by religious clergy, but can also be worn at weddings, Eids and funerals.

It may indicate wealth and royalty or sometimes a religious position.

It was originally manufactured in Syria, Iraq and Jordan, and it is usually worn in the Arabian peninsula, Jordan, Syria and parts of southern Iraq.