Men’s Coats

The abayeh became a popular choice of outerwear due to its durable nature.The abayeh, a cloak made from wool, protected the wearer from the rain or cold, served as a blanket at night, could be turned into a sack for carrying goods, used as a prayer rug, a feeding sack for animals, and even a small tent when working in the fields.

Over the thob men increasingly started to wear the qumbaz, a calf- or ankle-length coat. The qumbaz has long, narrow sleeves, and was made from various colored plain and striped cottons and silks. The run of the mill qumbaz worn for everyday use was made of cotton, while the prestigious qumbaz worn for special occasions was made of silk.

Men’s Headwear

Head wear for men was a visual representation of their background and level of influence in Palestinian society.

Head wear worn by villagers ranged significantly but was composed of two caps with another piece of fabric wrapped around them as to create a turban or laffeh. Another type of cap worn was the village tarbush. It was small,red, soft, and rounded at the crown as opposed to the tall and stiff tarbush istambuli worn by Ottoman officials, Turkish soldiers, and urban Palestinians.

Turbans indicated social position and religious identity by their size, shape and color.

Men’s Pants

A sirwal, a baggy pair of pants, started to be worn around the same time the qumbaz was. The cotton pants were normally  white, black, or blue  and were very wide at the hips and would narrow and tighten around the lower leg.

Men’s Shirts

The thob (a plain long tunic or shirt) was the basic garment of both villagers and bedouins. Originally made from cotton or wool, the thob was a shirt that was at least knee length if not longer. A man’s status and wealth could be determined from looking to see if the thob‘s sleeves were triangular, which used more material, and whether the thob was dyed or undyed. By the Mandate period in Palestine, thobs fell out of favor and were replaced by the qamis, a long white shirt cut in the European style.