Çarık
Çarık were sandals. In Old Turkish they were referred to as kaba ayakkabı, “rough shoes,” as opposed to edik, which were mamul ayakkabı, “finished shoes.”
Category: Garments
Sapka
The şapka was a type of hat worn by Christians. The 1451 Gazavat-ı Sultan Murad defines it simply as a “Christian hat,” while Filippo Argenti defines it in his 1533 dictionary as “sciapchá: chappello di greci & berrette di ogni sorte di cristiani” (a hat of the Greeks and a bonnet of…
Benevrek
Benevrek or menevrek were a style of men’s trousers.
Şalvar Dolaması
Şalvar dolaması, “wrapped şalvar,” were a style of trousers that were apparently different from regular şalvar.
Tuman Çakşır
Tuman or tuman çakşır [link] are a style of trousers defined in a 1533 dictionary as “chalze senza brachette,” trousers without flies(?), and in 1611 as “halbhosen,” half-trousers, or “unterhosen,” underpants. The derivation is the Persian tunbān, “short breeches; drawers; wrestler’s leathern breeches.”
Şalvar
“Şalvar” was not the generic word for trousers! It was one of several styles of pants, and an unpopular one at that. The available definitions are predictably maddening. In a 1533 dictionary, şalvar are defined as “chalzoni grandi oue a chammino si mettono le ueste” and in 1611 as “weite…
Ridâ
A ridâ was a cloak or shawl.
Takke, Takye, or Tekke
A takye, takye, or tekke was a skullcap worn under a headdress to protect the headdress from sweat and grease. Poor men sometimes wore skullcaps as their only headgear. In the picture, the diner on the right has removed his turban (on the floor beside him, under a turban cover)…
Üçkur
An üçkur was a drawstring. Unlike European drawstrings, this was a substantial sash, often with embroidered ends. Üçkur were transferred between pairs of trousers or underwear, and were itemized separately in estate records.
Nemed
Nemed is a generic word for felt. Also, like kebe, it’s a term for a variety of objects made from felt: blankets, mats, and a type of overcoat or vest worn by very poor men.