Haïk

The haik ()() is a traditional women's garment worn in North Africa. It can be white or black, though is usually white. It consists of a rectangular fabric covering the whole body, in length, rolled up then held at the waist by a belt and then brought back to the shoulders to be fixed by fibulae.

Etymology

The word is borrowed from the Maghrebi Arabic word , which comes from the Arabic verb which means "to weave". First used in French in the form (1654), it underwent many variations (1667), (1670), (1670), (1683), (1686). The word in French was at first of the feminine gender (1725) and became masculine in 1830.

Origins and description

The haik is of Arab- Andalusian origin, and present throughout the Maghreb. In 1792, the ''m'laya'', a black veil, popular in the eastern part of Algeria, made its appearance to mourn Salah Bey, Bey of Constantine. Made from wool, silk or synthetic silk fabric, the haik succeeded, in a very short time, to spread throughout all regions of the country, but its use was adapted to the socio-cultural specificities of the region. English anthropologist Thomas Athol Joyce describes women's attire of Algeria in his book, ''Women of all nations, a record of their characteristics, habits, manners, customs and influence'' (1915):

One variety of the haik, the , became very popular among women for its design, the way it was worn, and the quality of the fabric used by artisans. The appeared at the end of the nineteenth century and was worn by urban women of Algiers and its suburbs. This type of veil is often associated with feminine beauty and has inspired many Chaabi poets and singers, who dedicated many of their works to them.

A variation on the haik called the huik was worn from the 14th until the late 19th century in the Netherlands and Belgium, usually black and made of wool or silk. It was worn by women as a protection against bad weather. Later variants were worn during a period of mourning.

Present-day use

*In Algeria, the haik tends to be abandoned. However, old women wear it, although rarely.
*In Morocco, the use of haik has all but disappeared, except in the cities of Chefchaouen, Essaouira and Figuig, and rare appearances by old women in Oujda. The color of the haik is black or blue in the cities of Taroudant and Tiznit.
*In Tunisia, the ''sefseri'', a Tunisian variant of haik made of a single piece of cloth that does not cover the face, has been virtually abandoned. However, it is still sometimes traditionally worn, especially by older women.

Gallery

File:Femme on haik 2.jpg, Algiers, Algeria.
File:The Old Women and the Sea.jpg, Algerian woman fishing with her haik.
File:Hayek Mascara region (1).jpg, Mascara, Algeria.
File:Hayek Oranais (1).jpg, Oran, Algeria.
File:Pittoresque - Maroc.jpg, Moroccan woman wearing haik
File:N°3 HAÏK alt version.jpg, Algerian women wearing haik

See also

* Battoulah
*
* M’laya

References

Arab culture
Arabic clothing
Culture of Tunisia
Algerian clothing
Culture of Libya
Culture of Morocco
Islamic female clothing

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