Tunisia-150621-061
A shop selling chechias in the Medina of Tunis.
In Tunisia, eastern Libya and the region of Benghazi,the chechia is a vermilion (red) hat, while in the rest of Libya it is black. In parts of Tunisia and Morocco, the chechia is worn in white or blue.
Until the 19th century, the chechia was usually worn as a basis for the turban; the cloth was wound around the cap on the head. Last century it started to become a hat on its own accord, becoming the typical trademark of Tunisian men.
The manufacturing process of the chechia consists of six stages: first there is the knitting, followed by the treading (to increase density and solidify/fortify the fibres). This is followed by carding; originally this was done with thistles, but these days it's steel brushes. Then the chechia in the making is dyed; principally in vermillion, but also in black (for Libya) and blue (for export to Morocco and Nigeria). After dyeing, the moulding of the chechia gets finalized and brushed.
The Persian poet Rumi said: "A man without a chechia is dissolved".
Tunisia-150621-061
A shop selling chechias in the Medina of Tunis.
In Tunisia, eastern Libya and the region of Benghazi,the chechia is a vermilion (red) hat, while in the rest of Libya it is black. In parts of Tunisia and Morocco, the chechia is worn in white or blue.
Until the 19th century, the chechia was usually worn as a basis for the turban; the cloth was wound around the cap on the head. Last century it started to become a hat on its own accord, becoming the typical trademark of Tunisian men.
The manufacturing process of the chechia consists of six stages: first there is the knitting, followed by the treading (to increase density and solidify/fortify the fibres). This is followed by carding; originally this was done with thistles, but these days it's steel brushes. Then the chechia in the making is dyed; principally in vermillion, but also in black (for Libya) and blue (for export to Morocco and Nigeria). After dyeing, the moulding of the chechia gets finalized and brushed.
The Persian poet Rumi said: "A man without a chechia is dissolved".