Skullcaps

• A traditional foundation, a skullcap, or taqiyah, is a small hat that covers the crown of the head and is often worn under other headwear. In some locations, such as Syria and Egypt, a taqiyah is sometimes worn as a hat by itself; other Middle Eastern men wear this cap under a turban or fez. Young boys across the Middle East often wear a skullcap.
  
  

Fez and Turban

• A fez is a hat that is shaped somewhat like a top hat without the brim. It is often red in color and decorated with a tassel that dangles from the top. This hat was first worn in Morocco, but today is frequently associated with Turkish men. The fez is also known as a tarbush, tarboosh or tarbouche. A turban is created by winding a length of fabric around the head. Turbans are common headwear in North Africa and are also worn in Turkey, Yemen, Iran, Oman and Egypt, as well as in Palestine until the 1930s. A turban is often wound over a skullcap or fez.
  
  

Kufiya

• A kufiya, also called keffiyeh or kaffiya, is a square of fabric that is formed into a triangle whose three points fall to either shoulder and down the back. This headwear is held in place by a circle, traditionally made of camel hair, called the 'iqal. The kufiya is an ancient headdress worn originally by Bedouins and other nomadic Arab tribesmen. Yasser Arafat made the black-and-white checked kufiyah very popular among Palestinian men. Other areas of the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq, favor kufiyas of different colors.
  
  

Jewish Men's Headwear

• Jewish men and boys in Israel wear a kippah, which is a small circular cap that covers the crown of the head. This cap is required headwear for prayer, study of religious texts, receiving a blessing and eating. Chassidic Jewish men might also wear a shtreimel, which is a large kippah surrounded by fur. Chassidic men might also wear a taller version of the shtreimel called the spodik.
  
  

Women's Headwear

• Traditionally, Middle Eastern Arab women wear headscarves. These scarves can be worn around the head and fastened under the chin, covering the entire face, wrapped into a bag shape covering the hair or held in place with a headband. Though regional names vary, the traditional name for a headscarf in the Middle East is khimar. Other traditional hats worn by women in the Middle East include a fez-shaped hat covered with coins, a skullcap covered by a veil, and tall straw and pillbox-shaped hats. Orthodox Jewish women in Israel wear headscarves called tichels and/or a sheitel, which is a wig used to modestly cover the natural hair.