Salla (Turban)

The Introduction of the Turban into Central Asia

It remains unknown when and from which country the custom of wearing a turban first appeared in Central Asia. According to the Greek historian Strabo, the practice of wearing a turban was widespread among the ancient Medes and later spread to Iran. Based on the observations of ethnographer Iso Jabborov, the custom of wearing a turban began to spread to the ancient territories of Central Asia from the era of the Samanids. However, this tradition was almost nonexistent among the Khorezmians. The turban was mostly widespread in the southwestern regions of present-day Uzbekistan.

Sources state that the turban was considered the primary headwear of all peoples of Mawarannahr (except for the Khorezmians). Travelers who visited the region in the 13th century, including Samarkand, noted that not only clerics but also ordinary people constantly wore turbans.

Etymology of the Word “Salla”

There are various opinions regarding the meaning and origin of the word salla (turban). Some scholars suggest that salla is a term specific to the Tashkent dialect and derives from the verb solmoq (“to place” or “to lay on”). In some sources, particularly in medieval manuscripts, the word salla is noted to mean “basket” or “bundle.” The word is believed to be of Turkic origin, and it is interpreted similarly in modern Tajik. Therefore, in the medieval period, the turban had not yet become a customary primary headwear.

To explain the connection  the word salla has with “basket” or “bundle” it should be noted, that in the mid-18th century, women in Bukhara wore woven baskets on their heads. During public celebrations in the city, jesters performing in front of crowds would wear a large basket wrapped in white cloth on their heads to portray a judge with a large turban. Hence, it is quite possible that the term salla originated from this practice.

There is also a theory that salla derives from the Sogdian word sallata. In the Yaghnobi dialect, sallata means “women’s headscarf.” If this theory is correct, it suggests that the turban was initially a female headwear and later evolved into male headwear due to various social transformations.

Two Main Types of  Salla (Turbans) in Central Asia:

• Large salla (turban)

• Small salla (turban)

Salla-Wearing Customs

In some regions, for instance, in Samarkand, the small turban was called futa. This is an Arabic word that came from India, where futa refers to a piece of cloth used to cover the head or tie around the waist. In Central Asia, it typically referred to a headscarf worn by married women. On the wedding day, the bride was dressed in a turban at her father’s home. There was also a custom of wearing a turban in the groom’s house. Women generally wore turbans until the age of 45–50.

A woman’s turban consisted of a cap or doppi (skullcap) and a cloth wrap. The wrapping itself had various forms: wealthy women used up to 14 meters of fabric (called “rich head”), while the poor used about 6 meters (“poor head”). If poor women could not find a single piece of fabric, they used short rags and cotton, often in blue or red. At ceremonial gatherings, older women wrapped 10 meters of white fabric around their heads and then tied a white scarf on top. Middle-aged and younger married women would wrap a light blue satin turban of 10 meters in length.

Apart from the turban, young girls traditionally wore qalpoq (another term for doppi or skullcap in some regions). In Samarkand, Urgut, and surrounding villages, qalpoqs were round in shape and resembled the headwear of mountain Tajiks and Central Asian Jews. These headpieces have now completely disappeared. Notably, many customs were associated with headwear. For example, after marriage, a woman would tie a forehead scarf (peshona durra) over her skullcap, and after the birth of her first child, the skullcap would be replaced with a scarf. Often, women used two scarves: the first draped loosely over the head with the ends gathered at the back, and the second tied tightly around the forehead on top of the first.

Headwear as an Age Identifier

In many regions, especially rural areas, headwear served as a marker of age. Girls wore pom-pom doppi, and a newlywed woman, until the birth of her first child, wore a forehead scarf (peshonaband) over her skullcap (this was the term used in Samarkand and Qashqadarya). Peshonaband was tied in various styles; its second end was folded three to four times and wrapped from the top of the head to one side or thrown back. In some regions, a sarandoz was also worn. In the past, a type of single-piece headband called yakkaband, embroidered along the edges and adorned with a pom-pom and a central decoration (moh), was used. After giving birth to their first child, young women braided their hair into double braids and wore an embroidered skullcap called kulut. Elderly women, on the other hand, wore white skullcaps.

Sources:

• Abdurakhmonov F. On the Uzbek People and Their Formation. — Tashkent, 1999.

• Buriev O. Eternal Values of the Uzbek People. — Karshi: Nasaf, 2005.

• Buriev O. Uzbeks: Ethnic History and Ethnocultural Processes. — Samarkand, 2008.

• Historical Source Studies, Historiography, and Current Issues in Historical Research Methods and Methodology. 6th Scientific Collection / Chief Editor M. Iskhaqov. — Tashkent: TDShI, 2014. — p. 344.