Turbans of Agadez

MemoriesIt is hard to say how old the turban is, as an aspect of attire, or when exactly it came into being. However, I grew up liking turbans. Thus, the Sallah festivals were always special moments. I would listen to the royal trumpets, be awed by the richly caparisoned horses, but also thrill to the […]

Memories
It is hard to say how old the turban is, as an aspect of attire, or when exactly it came into being. However, I grew up liking turbans. Thus, the Sallah festivals were always special moments. I would listen to the royal trumpets, be awed by the richly caparisoned horses, but also thrill to the horsemen in their  lovely turbans, who could make the horse go at remarkable speed while  saluting the Emir, and, amazingly, neither  man nor Turban would  fall. It is a pleasant task to quietly study the way the Turban is worn, and the various colours that are usually chosen by the wearers, who are usually from different parts of the continent.
Land of turbans
On a recent visit to Niger Republic, I was exposed to  an array  of Turbans in the historical city of Agadez, which lies in the Sahara and is an important Tuareg city. This truly is the land of turbans, and the turban seems to impose a noble complexion upon the wearer. It extends a certain status and nobility to the one who wears it. Some of this is hinted at by Francis Rennell in his book People of the Veil where he writes “Of all their characteristics the one I have most vividly in mind is their grace  of carriage. The men are born to walk and move as Kings, they stride along swiftly and easily, like Princes of the earth.”
In the well populated parts of the city, there are countless Turbanned men, and this  stretches  as far as the eye can see. The Turban gives the streets of Agadez a magical, colourful quality, that seems to take  the viewer in spirit to one of the Emirates in the Gulf.  In the main market at Agadez, Mohammed Funeyeme, who sells Turbans, explains this point when he says “If a man goes to the barracks wearing a Turban, he won’t be asked to remove it. But anyone who wears a cap, may be asked to remove it, and he will have to comply with the request.”
He adds that the wearer of the Turban is seen as one who has some level of power in the society,and such a one is well esteemed. Funeyeme also adds that the wearer of the Turban must be very conscious of colour combinations, while wearing  it. This will conduce  to create a beautiful effect.
According to him “If you wear a white gown, then you wear a black rawani. It will fit well. Then if you wear a black kaftan, then you should wear a white rawani (Turban).”
It confers status
The Turban is the typical dress of the Azbenawa who say with pride “Since the coming of Islam here, the Azbenawa have been wearing Turbans.” Daily Trust is told “If the Azbenawa don’t have Turbans, they won’t be happy.”
Funeyeme also explains that when a man comes of age in the society,and he puts the age for this at 25, then a ceremony is held in his house. Islamic scholars will be present, and  prayers will be offered for the young man. He is then told that maturity also comes with responsibility, and a Turban is tied around his head, signifying that he has  now  become a man. It costs 20,000 CFA for the black Turban,and 100,000 CFA to buy the shining type. It is mentioned that the Turban for the royal families can be very expensive at  the markets.

Also, nobody in the city is forced to wear a Turban if he is not keen on wearing it. The type of Turban known as Turkudi is also available for sale at the market at Agadez. Daily Trust is told that the Turkudi is imported from Kura, near Kano city in Nigeria. Ahamed Ibrahim also says that some Turbans are brought from Dubai, and that he wears  a turban  every single day of his life, just like every other man does in Agadez. He adds that the Buzu and the Arabs also wear the type of turban known as the Turkudi, stressing that it is not just a preserve of the Sarauta or royalty. But there is a lovely type of turban, which is even finer than the Turkudi, Daily Trust is told, and this type  is brought in from Algiers.
The regular  turban is used a lot on a daily basis in Agadez, as well as throughout Niger. It is also commonly used at Sallah time. It is reaffirmed that a turban shows that the wearer is a very important person, and this culture is a living part of the social environment in Agadez. One of the men gathered says “If a small person wears a turban, it confers status upon him.” A report on the Tuareg at the UCLA states “The Tuareg are famous for their turbans. They often wear indigo-dyed turbans, and the indigo rubs off on their skin, giving them the name ‘blue men.’ Wearing turbans probably came about as a means of protection from the harsh sun, wind and sand  in the desert, but  it is now much more than that. Men do not like to expose their mouths and will, for example, often lift up the veil of the turban and drink their tea under the veil.”

Then I am told of some little tragedies that can occur while one is wearing the turban. An example is what may happen to the turban if one is in a fast moving car “If one is in a fast moving car, the turban can come off, but not completely. The wearer can simply pick it up,and put it on again.”
‘I won’t dare leave my house’
Daily Trust is also told of the  habit of many men in Agadez as well as in other parts of the country, who would not dare leave their houses if they do not have a turban to wear. “Some men would not go out, if they  do not have their turbans nearby. In Nigeria, we have seen many leave their turbans at home,and go out wearing a cap.” Then the point is driven home with the confession “A man is seen as being a bit insane  if he goes out without his turban. A man who leaves his house  without a turban, has erred seriously in our communities.”

They add that if a turban is not tied properly by the wearer ,then this is seen as poor conduct by the community. Also everyone ought to know how to tie a turban. Nobody is taught how to tie a turban, I am told. There are no schools to teach a man how to tie a turban. It is something one picks up in the community, with the passing of the years. A turban can last a wearer ten years or even more. One man says he has just eight turbans, and adds that these have served him well.
A turban for girls
It is also repeated that when a boy turns 25, his family would give him a turban. A big celebration is held and Islamic scholars will pray for him. The boy is told that he has come of age, and that he should behave like a man. The Islamic scholars present at the celebration will now tie the turban around  the head of the young man. Also a girl wears a turban when a ceremony is held to mark the moment when she comes of age. Daily Trust is told “When she is 16 years old, a ceremony is conducted for the Buzu girl, and a Turkudi is tied around her head. The scholars pray for her,and she is told that she has now become a woman. Weddings are other moments when a woman can wear a type of turban,and  this is allowed culturally. The turban is a unique head gear which is used in many parts of Niger. I haven’t stopped liking turbans.