An arkhalig ka, ახალუხი, hy, արխալուղ, fa, ارخالق) is part of both male and female traditional dress of the
peoples of the Caucasus and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. The arkhalig originated from the ''beshmet'', a
Turkic outer clothing later worn by
Cossacks.
An arkhalig is a long tight-waist jacket made of various kinds of fabric, such as
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the ...
,
satin
A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave ...
,
cloth
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
,
cashmere and
velvet
Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
, traditionally depending on the social status of its owner. Male arkhaligs can be both single-breasted (done up with
hooks) and double-breasted (done up with buttons). In cold weather, a
chokha
A chokha or ; ab, акәымжәы, akʷymzhʷy; ady, цые, tsiya; kbd, цей, tsei; fa, چوقا, chughā; hy, չուխայ, choukha(y); az, çuxa; krc, чепкен, çepken; kum, чепген, çepgen; nog, шепкен, şepken ...
is put on above an arkhalig. Female arkhaligs are often
ornamented and have tight long sleeves widening on the wrists. A female arkhalig can also include a fur list along the edges, patterned laces and braids, or be decorated with gold embroidery.
Silks That Amazed Herodotus
by Saadat Huseynova. ''Azerbaijanskie Izvestia''. Retrieved 23 June 2007
In the arkhalıq, there are true sleeves, either cut plain, or plain to the elbow and then slit as far as the wrist or, in the type called lelufar (Persian language, nīlūfar that means lily
''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...
), flared from the elbow like the bell of a lily and trimmed with an extra 4 cm of lining from the inside.
References
{{reflist
Azerbaijani clothing
Clothing of Georgia (country)
Armenian clothing