The Fez, Headwear of Mystery

The Fez is an enduringly curious cultural item. Worn today from the streets of Istanbul to the luxury hotels of Marrakech, its origins are disputed and it is known by many names. If you seek to learn more of this magnificent item of headwear, then read on. And, yes, I will be mentioning Tommy Cooper.

The Fez, Headwear of Mystery

Since Sydney Greenstreet masked his voluminous dome with a splendidly tall tasselled hat in 1942’s Casablanca, the Fez has commanded a strange power in popular culture. Forever associated with luxury holidays and impossible opulence in north-west Africa it may surprise some to learn that it does not thank Morocco and the city of Fez for its genesis, but finds its home much further east in lands across the Mediterranean sea.

Those of you planning tailor made holidays of discovery to unravel the secrets of the Fez please put down your credit cards, for I can enlighten you without the need to rise from your leather-bound armchairs. It is claimed that the Fez originated from the city states of ancient Greece and was subsequently worn in Greek Byzantine society and later adopted by the Ottoman Turks. So enamoured was Turkish Sultan Mahmud Khan II of the Fez that during his 17th century reign he ordered his subjects to wear them as part of formal attire, making them a must-have item for political functions and clandestine escapes to luxury hotels.

Known in Istanbul as a Fez, Fezzi, or Phecy and in Egypt as a Tarboosh (derived from the Farsi words Sar [head] and Poosh [cover]) the modern Fez is not to be confused with a north African Checheya, though why this is no-one is sure. It is worn worldwide and carries various associations in its different homes; in Morocco it is a symbol of national pride, across north Africa it is standard wear for the staff of many luxury hotels, in Indonesia it is an item of cultural, even religious wear.

At once eminently practical and charmingly purposeless, the Fez is a curious choice of headwear. It affords little to no protection from the sun and when worn as part of a military uniform, as it was by the Turks, the Greeks and the locally recruited troops of colonial north Africa, provided a bright, distinct target for enemy fire. It does however serve the Muslim wearer well as its rimless design allows one to pray without removing one’s hat.

And what of its appreciation in the west? A cursory glance across the internet reveals a fierce adoration of the Fez in the English-speaking world. There are numerous sites that manufacture tailor-made items for a range of secretive societies, suggesting that the love of this particular headgear extends beyond mere eccentricity into the realm of formality in the lands north of the Mediterranean. It’s not impossible that these groups may offer tailor made holidays aimed at the Fez fascinated tourist… if you come across such an offer then please do let me know.

And who wears them amongst us? Certain animated characters leap to mind… Ren Hoek and Grandpa Simpson amongst them, but given the volume of literature on the subject do not be shocked if you catch your friends and acquaintances donning a Fez and smoking jacket for an evening of cultured contemplation. Or perhaps they’re paying tribute to the great Tommy Cooper.

I told you I’d mention him.