There are at least a dozen types of overgarments, not counting the wild and varied coats that made up military wear. And–this is fun–we have no clear idea what most of them looked like. This is a listing of all the overgarments worn by Istanbulites in the 16th and early 17th centuries, as reflected in their estate records, with as much detail as I can give about what they might have looked like and how they were worn.
Ağrız: A mystery garment worn by very poor male agricultural laborers (all but one of the recorded wearers are escaped slaves) and made of a type of felt called ağrız.
Cübbe: The Turkish version of the Arab djubbeh, a voluminous coat with no fastenings. A rarity.
Çuka: Literally “wool broadcloth,” a çuka was made of, yes, wool broadcloth. (So were most other warm coats.) Çuka is probably the term for the type of overcoat worn by most men of standing: a full-length overcoat with hanging sleeves, made of expensive but serviceable wool broadcloth.
Dolama: In the 16th century, dolama was an adjective that meant “wrapped” and indicated that a garment was worn as an overcoat (or, in a few cases, as overpants). For example, in 16th-century Uskudar there are several kaftan dolama, “outer kaftans.” Kaftan usually indicated an inner robe, not an overcoat, so a kaftan dolama was presumably a robe cut like a kaftan but worn as an overcoat.
In the early 17th century, dolama came to refer to several types of new, and newly fashionable, overcoats. The most prominent was a knee-length or upper-calf-length robe that, by 1624, was closely fitted through the waist, with narrow skirts and full-length, generously wide sleeves. Most famous for its role in Janissaries’ uniforms, the dolama was also worn by civilians of both sexes.
- Fabrics in the Galata records: Çuka (wool broadcloth), kemha
- Fabrics in the Uskudar records: Çuka, aba-covered çuka, Venetian karziye (kersey)
- Fabrics in the Istanbul 1600 narh defteri: N/A
- Fabrics in the Bursa 1624 narh defteri: Bogasi
Even among the wealthy of the 17th century, the dolama was a utilitarian garment. Only one person, Osman Çelebi, had a dolama made of silk rather than wool.
Ferace: A long, unfitted coat with unfitted sleeves. Both men and women wore ferace; the only difference was that women wore them for modesty whenever they left the house, while men wore them for warmth and status. Among men, the ferace was especially associated with men of religion and learning; for example, judges wore them to court.
Kapama: A type of full-length coat. Not very popular; there are only 14 kapamas in Galata and 18 in Uskudar, and three of those are the ambiguous “kapama kaftan.”
- Fabrics in the Galata records: Sof (fine mohair), kemha and fur (a “kapama kaftan”), bogasi
- Fabrics in the Uskudar records: Çuka, bez
- Fabrics in the Istanbul 1600 narh defteri:
- Fabrics in the Bursa 1624 narh defteri: Bogasi
Kebe: Literally the term for a type of thick felt, kebe was also a name for a coat made of felt. As the cheapest and least sturdy form of wool cloth, felt was generally a working-class fabric, though some forms of felt–like Yanbolu kebe, a famously hairy and high-quality felt made in Yanbolu–were fine enough to be worn by people of comfortable means. Unfortunately, we don’t have any clear idea what a kebe coat looked like, or even whether it had a distinctive shape.
Kürdiyye: Literally “Kurdish,” this coat was popular among both sexes in the later part of the century. It was so popular, in fact, that it’s bizarre that we have no good description of it. Standards set by the marketplace governors make it clear that by 1624, it came down to the mid-calf and was loosely fitted through the waist, with full-length sleeves that were generously sized.
Although the kürdiyye was frequently made of sensible çuka, the wealthy people of Galata also invested in top-of-the-line kürdiyye made of silk or brocade and lined with fur.
- Fabrics in the Galata records: Satin, Bağdâdî silk, fur, kemha, çuka
- Fabrics in the Uskudar records: N/A
- Fabrics in the Istanbul 1600 narh defteri: N/A
- Fabrics in the Bursa 1624 narh defteri: Çuka
Kürk: Many garments are listed in the estate records simply as “fur,” kürk. I suspect this was a catchall term for any overcoat lined with fur.
Mintan: A short jacket? This appears only a couple-few times in the records. In later centuries it evolved into a waist-length or shorter jacket, but that’s no guarantee that the 16th century version was remotely similar.
Yağmurluk: A raincoat, often made of felt. Felt was one of the lowest-status fabrics, usually worn only by the poor, but gentlemen made an exception for raincoats.
Yelek: I included this only to correct a misconception. At some point post-period, yelek came to refer to a hip-length overcoat, so costumers and some scholars use it to refer to the same garment in period. However, in period the yelek was a hip-length inner coat, an alternative to the kaftan for men who needed more practical dress.