The ''Taj-i Haydari'' (, "Haydar's Crown"), was a type of headdress introduced circa 1501-1502 during the early stages of the

Safavid dynasty The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from Safavid Iran, 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of History of Iran, modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder em ...

in Iran, when the future Shah Ismail captured

Tabriz Tabriz (; ) is a city in the Central District (Tabriz County), Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province, East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It serves as capital of the province, the county, and the distric ...

. The headdress consisted in a cap with a tall red projection, often wrapped in a white turban around its base. The tall red projection has 12 sides, in memory of the twelve

Shiite Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...

imams (a symbol of

Twelver Shi'ism Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as ...

), and may be complemented by a red plume in the center. The headdress was originally invented by, and named after

Shaykh Haydar Shaykh Haydar or Sheikh Haydar ( ''Shaikh Ḥaidar''; 1459–9 July 1488) was the successor of his father ( Shaykh Junayd) as leader of the Safavid order from 1460 to 1488. Haydar maintained the policies and political ambitions initiated by his f ...

(1456-1488), father of

Ismail I Ismail I (; 17 July 1487 – 23 May 1524) was the founder and first shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death in 1524. His reign is one of the most vital in the history of Iran, and the Safavid period is often considered the beginn ...

, founder of the Safavid dynasty. According to a legend, Haydar saw the new headdress in a dream. The ''Taj-i Haydari'' became a rallying sign for the new dynasty, and is also a chronological marker for artistic works of the period. The ''Taj-i Haydari'' is the reason why the partisans of the Safavids were called " Qizil bash" ("Red head") by the Turks. This headgear differed from the ''Turkman

taqiya In Islam, ''taqiyya'' ()R. STROTHMANN, MOKTAR DJEBLI. Encyclopedia of Islam, 2nd ed, Brill. "TAKIYYA", vol. 10, p. 134. Quote: "TAKIYYA "prudence, fear" ... denotes dispensing with the ordinances of religion in cases of constraint of preaching ...

'', which consisted in a ''kolah'' conical cap with a turban. The Mughal ''

Tāj-i 'Izzat The ''Tāj-i 'Izzat'' ("Crown of Power and Glory") was a particular type of Mughal Empire headdress, characteristic of the court of Humayun (1508–1556), son and successor of Babur, and invented by Humayun himself. The headdress was created by Hu ...

'' may also have been created in response to the ''Taj-i Haydari''.

References

{{reflist Headgear