There are four types of robes that some Muslim women wear to cover their faces: the niqaab, the burqa, the gimaar, and the sharfsharf. Originally, the burka was the local costume of the Pashtun women in Afghanistan. On the one hand, it indicated a status symbol and, on the other, the separate spheres of life of men and women. Later it was imposed on everyone by the Taliban as 'religiously appropriate'. Now the burka can no longer be disconnected from Afghanistan and is increasingly linked to Islam. Where the burka consists of one long garment that also covers the eyes, the niqaab is a thin piece of fabric that covers only the face, leaving the eyes visible. The niqaab is mostly worn in Saudi Arabia.
Besides the burka and the niqaab, there are also the gimaar and the sharshaf. The first is a large round-cut veil that completely encloses the head and, depending on the chosen length, reaches to the waist, the hips, the knees or the ground." The lower part of the veil can be pulled up to cover the lower part of the face. A sharshaf is only found on women of Turkish descent. It is a large shawl in a dark colour, the ends of which can be pulled over the lower part of the face.
© Maureen Kroep | THE ART KROEP
Maureen Kroep (Losser, April 14, 1980) of The Art Kroep is a graphic designer and illustrator based in the Netherlands. Her whole life has revolved around design. From childhood, she has been busy with crayons, markers and brushes. Drawing, painting and designing is in her.. Read more…