Turban facts for kids

A turban (pronounced TUR-ban) is a type of headwear made by winding a long piece of cloth around the head. Turbans come in many different styles and are worn by people from various cultures around the world. You can find strong turban-wearing traditions in places like India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, and parts of Europe. Some Turkic peoples in Russia and even some Ashkenazi Jews also wear them.

Muhammed Alim Khan, the last ruler of Bukhara, wearing a turban in 1911.

A keski is a specific type of turban. It's a long piece of cloth, usually about half the length of a regular "single turban." It's not cut and sewn to be a wider "Double Turban" (also called a Double Patti).

Why People Wear Turbans

Wearing turbans is very common among Sikhs, including both men and women. For Sikhs, the turban is an important part of their faith and identity.

Turbans are also worn for religious reasons by some Shia Muslims. They see wearing a turban as a Sunnah fucadahass, which means it's a confirmed tradition from the Prophet Muhammad.

Many Sufi scholars also traditionally wear turbans. Beyond religion, turbans have often been worn by important people like kings and nobles, no matter their religious background. Sometimes, people wear turbans to protect their hair or as a headwrap, for example, by women undergoing certain medical treatments.

Images for kids

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  Afghan Lungee presentation

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  Paag of Mithilalok

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  Nepalese Sardar Bhakti Thapa, a Gorkhali nobleman wearing an aristocratic white Shirpau turban.

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  Camila Batmanghelidjh wearing a turban and matching robe

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  Vietnamese musicians in old Saigon wearing traditionally wrapped turbans

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  A Christian mukurinu on the Swahili Coast wearing a turban.

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  A Sikh with a Darbara Singh Dumala

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  Akali turban cotton over a wicker frame, steel overlaid with gold. Lahore Mid-19th century, "A tall conical turban provided convenient transportation for a number of sharp steel quoits – edged weapons hurled to lethal effect by the practised hand of the Akalis."

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  A Sikh man and woman both with turbans

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  Late 4th century Byzantine Woman, wearing a phakeolis.

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  14th century Byzantine, Theodore Metochites, presenting a model of the renovated Chora Church, while wearing a striped turban.

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  16th century, Suleiman I, wearing a large Turban.

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  16th century, Selim II, wearing the Ottoman imperial Turban.

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  16th century Mughal Emperor Babur and his heir Humayun wearing Turbans.

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  Guru Gobind Singh with followers.

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  Late 17th century Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb wearing a Turban and its ornaments.

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  20th century Somali Sultan Mohamoud Ali Shire of the Warsangali Sultanate wearing a turban, 1905.

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  Ibn Rushd (Averroes) Muslim polymath from Spain.

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  In the Ottoman Empire, Muhammad's numerous descendants formed a kind of nobility with the privilege of wearing green turbans.

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  A Georgian Muslim imam from Tbilisi wearing a turban.

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  Habib Umar bin Hafiz (left) of Yemen wearing a white turban.

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  Bikram Singh, former Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of India.

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  Fauja Singh, a centenarian marathon runner.

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  Diljit Dosanjh, an actor, singer, television presenter and social media celebrity.

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  Harjit Singh Sajjan, the Minister of National Defence of Canada

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  A Orthodox Sikh Nihang with a Dastar Bunga

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  Cdt. Sarabjot Anand, OCdt. Sarbjeet Nijher and OCdt. Saajandeep Sarai represent Royal Military College of Canada at Sikh Remembrance Day 2013

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  A Sikh Woman with a turban

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  Mewa Singh the man who spearheaded the Ghadar Movement

See also

In Spanish: Turbante para niños