The Kufiya, or keffiyeh, is a timeless piece of traditional clothing with deep cultural roots in Palestine and throughout the Arab world. More than just protection against the elements, it carries meaning, of resilience, identity and pride. This guide explores the different names, designs and styles of the Kufiya across...
The Kufiya is a rectangular scarf, most often made from woven cotton and recognised by its checkered or striped patterns. It’s traditionally worn across the Arabian Peninsula, often secured around the head using an agal, a black cord, looped and worn like a crown. While it served a practical purpose in shielding the wearer from harsh desert climates, the Kufiya has long since evolved into a powerful emblem of heritage, dignity and political resistance.
The Kufiya has travelled far beyond its place of origin. With each region it touches, the scarf gains a local name and cultural expression. What follows is a look into these variations, many of which still reflect shared values of identity, struggle and unity.
In Palestine, the black-and-white Kufiya is worn with pride. Its bold pattern represents a long history of resistance, especially in the face of occupation and displacement. The woven threads often feature motifs of strength, roots and homeland, small symbols carrying generations of meaning.
The black-and-white pattern is now globally recognised as a symbol of Palestinian identity and resistance. It’s often worn by those expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause, from activists to public figures like Colin Farrell, Lupe Fiasco and Cameron Diaz.
The Jordanian Shemagh is red and white, with tassels lining the edges. Its colours represent the Hashemite royal family, and the scarf is commonly worn by Bedouin tribes as a sign of honour, heritage and belonging.
Especially in the desert, the Shemagh acts as a trusted shield, a practical garment that also carries deep ties to land and lineage. There’s also renewed interest in how to tie a shemagh, especially among younger generations around the world.
In Syria and Lebanon, the Hatta holds similar cultural weight. Its patterns often vary depending on family tradition or region, with greater freedom in colour, sometimes featuring blues or greens, in addition to the classic black or red.
Though the designs echo neighbouring Kufiyas, the Hatta reflects each wearer’s specific roots, with subtle regional differences embedded in the weave.
In Saudi Arabia, the Kufiya is referred to as the Ghutra, typically plain white, though red-and-white versions also appear. Traditionally, Ghutras were made from goat or camel hair, though cotton now dominates.
Worn both formally and casually, the Ghutra is seen as a marker of respectability and status. It is particularly common on religious or ceremonial occasions, where it affirms both faith and cultural grounding.
In Iraq, you’ll most often hear the term Yashmagh. The designs are similar to the Saudi Ghutra, with black or red checks most common. The Yashmagh carries tribal significance and is often granted as a mark of honour, not easily extended outside the tribe.
There are rare stories of American soldiers being gifted a Malaki Yashmagh, meaning ‘royal Yashmagh’, to signify high respect. These moments, though uncommon, speak to the scarf’s deep-rooted symbolism and ceremonial value.
The Omani Mussar is more colourful and ornate than many of its regional counterparts. Thicker and often made from wool or blended fibres, it features floral and paisley designs in bold colours.
Its beauty is matched by its meaning, often compared to a crown worn by Omani men as a symbol of national pride and the Sultanate’s cultural diversity.
While the Kufiya’s story begins in the Middle East, echoes of its design and cultural function appear across the world. Some of these garments share the Kufiya’s shape, others its spirit.
Worn primarily in rural regions, the Iranian Chafiyeh shares a similar purpose and pattern to the Palestinian Kufiya, though with darker hues, green, purple, blue. Like other variations, it blends function and symbolism into a single form.
In South Asia, the dupatta and shawl are worn for modesty, warmth and sun protection. Often made from silk, cotton or wool, these long scarves aren’t wrapped around the head in the same style, but they carry similar connections to identity and cultural continuity.
Among the Tuareg people, the Tagelmust (or litham) covers the lower face. Dyed deep indigo, it protects from sand and sun, while also holding spiritual significance. These garments are more than practical, they are deeply tied to beliefs and desert life.
Across East Asia and the West, scarves are often worn for protection or fashion. While similar in form, these lack the profound symbolism the Kufiya holds. Here, function often outweighs heritage.
Though united by shape and use, not all Kufiyas are made equally.
Traditional Kufiyas are woven, not printed, crafted with breathability and strength to handle heat, wind and wear. The weave is key. It gives the scarf its texture, its resilience and its character.
Printed versions lack this, the threads fade, the symbolism gets lost, the connection to origin vanishes.
Whenever possible, buy directly from Middle Eastern artisans. This keeps ancient skills alive and honours the real purpose behind the scarf. Support is especially vital for traditional Palestinian Kufiyas still woven today.
The Kufiya is not simply a scarf, it’s memory made visible. Each region carries its own version, its own colours, its own meaning. And yet they all reflect something shared, identity, resilience and the will to keep going.
Whether worn for warmth, for beauty or to show solidarity, the Kufiya links us to the people and stories behind its thread.
To understand the Kufiya is to take part in a quiet act of cultural preservation. To wear it is, in a small way, to keep that story alive.
For those wishing to explore real Palestinian-made Kufiyas, Hirbawi remains the last standing factory still weaving them in Palestine.
Check out the Hirbawi collection to see how this tradition continues to thrive today.
Your cart is currently empty.
Start Shopping
