WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.371 Correspondent: 3 - 2 - 1, Go! 00:00:01.371 --> 00:00:04.539 The Sudanese turban ('imma) is a variety of ancient Arab clothing 00:00:04.539 --> 00:00:13.248 From a historical perspective, kings of the ancient Sudanese civiliztions such as Meroe and others 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, 00:00:21.762 --> 00:00:27.980 and it had some artistic symbols such as the snake and the cat and many others. 00:00:27.980 --> 00:00:33.484 In the Funj Sultanate, however, their turban had two side prominences called "the two-horned turban" 00:00:33.484 --> 00:00:35.569 which denotes prestigious affiliation. 00:00:35.569 --> 00:00:40.741 On the African side, the Baggara tribes designed their turbans after animal figures, 00:00:40.741 --> 00:00:45.125 mainly as a symbol of courage, gallantry and valor. 00:00:45.387 --> 00:00:52.058 There was a fusion that brought together the African and the Arabic culture. 00:00:52.212 --> 00:00:59.267 When the Arabs first came to Sudan, they wore turbans and the traditional Arabic robe. 00:00:59.513 --> 00:01:06.189 Sudanese people living in pastoral areas, wore materials that were available to them. 00:01:06.296 --> 00:01:09.177 They dressed in such a way that most of their bodies were covered, 00:01:09.177 --> 00:01:13.179 they mostly used fabrics imported from rural Egypt. 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". 00:01:20.532 --> 00:01:25.150 Then came the Mahdist revolution and brought along the cloak, commonly known as "Jibba", 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. 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. 00:01:39.864 --> 00:01:47.053 Aditionally, it aids in providing protection against the burning heat of the sun, 00:01:47.053 --> 00:01:50.729 akin to the cowboy's hat in western culture! 00:01:50.944 --> 00:01:55.985 But it didn't carry a lot of importance for the average Sudanese, 00:01:55.985 --> 00:01:59.695 that is until the advent of urbanization and capitalism, 00:01:59.695 --> 00:02:04.682 when a person's status became increasingly proportional to the size of his turban! 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:09.527 It was regarded as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. 00:02:09.989 --> 00:02:14.199 More often than not, the turban was regarded as a sign of distinction; 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. 00:02:21.277 --> 00:02:26.192 Generally speaking, to tie a turban you'll first need a cap. 00:02:26.653 --> 00:02:32.656 It should cover the head like so, and this will help anchor the turban. 00:02:32.949 --> 00:02:35.367 Back in the day the cap alone would suffice for most, 00:02:35.551 --> 00:02:41.371 and a fancy turban was the thing of wealthy merchants and aristocrats. 00:02:41.602 --> 00:02:47.492 First, take one end of the fabric and tuck it in at the back like so. 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. 00:02:53.041 --> 00:02:57.074 You'll need a visual estimate to get the right balance for your turban. 00:02:57.274 --> 00:03:00.598 Now you wrap it all the way around like so, 00:03:00.798 --> 00:03:04.095 at this point, you flip it over like this, 00:03:04.387 --> 00:03:07.131 warp it all the way around and back again and so on. 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 00:03:11.307 --> 00:03:16.730 those adopted by the Mahdists, the Ansar sect and the Khatmiyya sect. 00:03:16.868 --> 00:03:22.651 This is how I do it. And finally, just tuck it in like this. 00:03:23.821 --> 00:03:28.659 Now if the turban is exceptionally large, it needs to be executed in a different manner. 00:03:28.659 --> 00:03:31.974 It needs to be meticulously aligned, 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, 00:03:37.055 --> 00:03:39.879 need about 15-30 minutes to tie their turbans! 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. 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. 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. 00:03:56.883 --> 00:04:01.215 It is curiously worth noting that the British colonists during their occupation of Sudan, 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. 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. 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. 00:04:22.707 --> 00:04:31.261 While a sparkling white turban, on the other hand, speaks to the person's status. 00:04:32.075 --> 00:04:35.158 Correspondent: Did you wear it while in Europe? 00:04:35.574 --> 00:04:39.758 Actually I did on occasions, special events and the like. 00:04:40.097 --> 00:04:44.833 And in New york as well, I wore it to one of my exhibitions there. 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:49.558 I truly take pride in our Sudanese costume, and in particular the ones I design. 00:04:49.882 --> 00:04:54.148 Ever since the times of the Funj, Sudanese costumes didn't undergo much change. 00:04:54.148 --> 00:04:56.931 I introduced some of the first modern interpretations of the traditional male costume, 00:04:56.977 --> 00:05:02.034 while women's costumes underwent continuous changes over the years in keeping with the latest trends. 00:05:02.081 --> 00:05:04.548 As for men, this was a first. 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! 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. 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. 00:05:20.842 --> 00:05:26.819 But you see, this white color becomes a nuisance to me when it's in abundance 00:05:26.819 --> 00:05:29.142 especially for an artist like myself with a knack for coloring! 00:05:29.280 --> 00:05:30.696 - Dr. Rashid: is that it? - Correspondent: that's it!