1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,371 Correspondent: 3 - 2 - 1, Go! 2 00:00:01,371 --> 00:00:04,539 The Sudanese turban ('imma) is a variety of ancient Arab clothing 3 00:00:04,539 --> 00:00:13,248 From a historical perspective, kings of the ancient Sudanese civiliztions such as Meroe and others 4 00:00:13,385 --> 00:00:21,654 used to wear caps and turbans as crowns, designed in such a way to denote the king's status, 5 00:00:21,762 --> 00:00:27,980 and it had some artistic symbols such as the snake and the cat and many others. 6 00:00:27,980 --> 00:00:33,484 In the Funj Sultanate, however, their turban had two side prominences called "the two-horned turban" 7 00:00:33,484 --> 00:00:35,569 which denotes prestigious affiliation. 8 00:00:35,569 --> 00:00:40,741 On the African side, the Baggara tribes designed their turbans after animal figures, 9 00:00:40,741 --> 00:00:45,125 mainly as a symbol of courage, gallantry and valor. 10 00:00:45,387 --> 00:00:52,058 There was a fusion that brought together the African and the Arabic culture. 11 00:00:52,212 --> 00:00:59,267 When the Arabs first came to Sudan, they wore turbans and the traditional Arabic robe. 12 00:00:59,513 --> 00:01:06,189 Sudanese people living in pastoral areas, wore materials that were available to them. 13 00:01:06,296 --> 00:01:09,177 They dressed in such a way that most of their bodies were covered, 14 00:01:09,177 --> 00:01:13,179 they mostly used fabrics imported from rural Egypt. 15 00:01:13,394 --> 00:01:20,532 At a later stage, they used locally woven cottons to create the simplest known traditional garb, the "Arragi". 16 00:01:20,532 --> 00:01:25,150 Then came the Mahdist revolution and brought along the cloak, commonly known as "Jibba", 17 00:01:25,150 --> 00:01:31,667 and they would wear it with turbans of different colors depending on the status of the prince and so on. 18 00:01:31,667 --> 00:01:39,864 In essence, the turban is an attempt to create an aesthetically pleasing look and to denote status. 19 00:01:39,864 --> 00:01:47,053 Aditionally, it aids in providing protection against the burning heat of the sun, 20 00:01:47,053 --> 00:01:50,729 akin to the cowboy's hat in western culture! 21 00:01:50,944 --> 00:01:55,985 But it didn't carry a lot of importance for the average Sudanese, 22 00:01:55,985 --> 00:01:59,695 that is until the advent of urbanization and capitalism, 23 00:01:59,695 --> 00:02:04,682 when a person's status became increasingly proportional to the size of his turban! 24 00:02:05,159 --> 00:02:09,527 It was regarded as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. 25 00:02:09,989 --> 00:02:14,199 More often than not, the turban was regarded as a sign of distinction; 26 00:02:14,322 --> 00:02:21,277 many celebrities wore their turbans in such unique styles, that it became a source of recognition and a hallmark. 27 00:02:21,277 --> 00:02:26,192 Generally speaking, to tie a turban you'll first need a cap. 28 00:02:26,653 --> 00:02:32,656 It should cover the head like so, and this will help anchor the turban. 29 00:02:32,949 --> 00:02:35,367 Back in the day the cap alone would suffice for most, 30 00:02:35,551 --> 00:02:41,371 and a fancy turban was the thing of wealthy merchants and aristocrats. 31 00:02:41,602 --> 00:02:47,492 First, take one end of the fabric and tuck it in at the back like so. 32 00:02:48,077 --> 00:02:52,671 By the way, this is my own personal method which I've adopted lately after returning from Europe. 33 00:02:53,041 --> 00:02:57,074 You'll need a visual estimate to get the right balance for your turban. 34 00:02:57,274 --> 00:03:00,598 Now you wrap it all the way around like so, 35 00:03:00,798 --> 00:03:04,095 at this point, you flip it over like this, 36 00:03:04,387 --> 00:03:07,131 warp it all the way around and back again and so on. 37 00:03:07,269 --> 00:03:11,276 This is my way, but there are many different ways, some of which are quite distinctive such as 38 00:03:11,307 --> 00:03:16,730 those adopted by the Mahdists, the Ansar sect and the Khatmiyya sect. 39 00:03:16,868 --> 00:03:22,651 This is how I do it. And finally, just tuck it in like this. 40 00:03:23,821 --> 00:03:28,659 Now if the turban is exceptionally large, it needs to be executed in a different manner. 41 00:03:28,659 --> 00:03:31,974 It needs to be meticulously aligned, 42 00:03:32,157 --> 00:03:36,917 that's why artists and musicians who wear enormous turbans with 7 or 10 meters of fabric, 43 00:03:37,055 --> 00:03:39,879 need about 15-30 minutes to tie their turbans! 44 00:03:39,986 --> 00:03:44,856 It's been speculated that they might even have it wrapped and ready by the door to strap on and go. 45 00:03:45,117 --> 00:03:51,171 For these plus-size turbans to uphold their shape, one will need to employ special durable fabrics. 46 00:03:51,448 --> 00:03:56,698 There are various types of turbans worldwide, the Sikh for instance, wear a turban that looks firm and steady. 47 00:03:56,883 --> 00:04:01,215 It is curiously worth noting that the British colonists during their occupation of Sudan, 48 00:04:01,291 --> 00:04:07,739 they improvised a headgear that looked eerily similar to the Sudanese turban in an attempt to assimilate into the culture. 49 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:15,202 At the end of the day, the turban really is a symbol of poise, affluence and power. 50 00:04:15,493 --> 00:04:22,430 Some will even tell you that only a poor fellow will allow himself to be seen in a shabby looking turban. 51 00:04:22,707 --> 00:04:31,261 While a sparkling white turban, on the other hand, speaks to the person's status. 52 00:04:32,075 --> 00:04:35,158 Correspondent: Did you wear it while in Europe? 53 00:04:35,574 --> 00:04:39,758 Actually I did on occasions, special events and the like. 54 00:04:40,097 --> 00:04:44,833 And in New york as well, I wore it to one of my exhibitions there. 55 00:04:45,079 --> 00:04:49,558 I truly take pride in our Sudanese costume, and in particular the ones I design. 56 00:04:49,882 --> 00:04:54,148 Ever since the times of the Funj, Sudanese costumes didn't undergo much change. 57 00:04:54,148 --> 00:04:56,931 I introduced some of the first modern interpretations of the traditional male costume, 58 00:04:56,977 --> 00:05:02,034 while women's costumes underwent continuous changes over the years in keeping with the latest trends. 59 00:05:02,081 --> 00:05:04,548 As for men, this was a first. 60 00:05:04,841 --> 00:05:09,970 When I was a little child, all I wanted was to grab a crayon and draw on people's clothes! 61 00:05:09,970 --> 00:05:16,119 They had these huge white robes that looked like a blank canvas and I couldn't resist. 62 00:05:16,411 --> 00:05:20,627 And when I make an attempt, they get really mad and tell me off for ruining their garments. 63 00:05:20,842 --> 00:05:26,819 But you see, this white color becomes a nuisance to me when it's in abundance 64 00:05:26,819 --> 00:05:29,142 especially for an artist like myself with a knack for coloring! 65 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:30,696 - Dr. Rashid: is that it? - Correspondent: that's it!