Skullcap

skullcap

The skullcap (or in Tatar "tubetei") is the most famous souvenir brought by tourists from Tatarstan, a traditional Tatar headdress, mention of which has existed since ancient times. This is a round mostly flat, less often an island light cap worn on the top. In Tatarstan, the skullcap today is worn mainly by religious men, before it was worn by women under a headscarf. It is sewn from soft matter, mainly from velvet, while the Tatars have a special way of attaching the lining and top with small stitches by hand. There was a tradition between stitches to lay horse hair.

The skullcap got its name from the Turkic word “tobe” (“tube”), meaning the top of the head or the top of the mountain. Evidence of the existence of a headdress similar to a skullcap worn in ancient times was found in sculpture, numismatics, wall paintings, book miniatures of the XV-XVI centuries. Since ancient times, the skullcap has been an integral part of national clothing. The skullcap emphasized man as a modest, well-bred, believer. A true believer who lives according to the rules of the Quran is said to have been born in a skullcap. There was a time when Tatar men could not imagine without a skullcap. According to Muslim customs, the hair was shaved off and put on a skullcap.