burnous
Sign in to savethumb|Urban Algerian man wearing a white/beige burnous, 19thcentury A burnous (), also burnoose, burnouse, bournous or barnous, is a long cloak of coarse woollen fabric with a pointed hood, often white, traditionally worn by Arab and Berber men in North Africa. Historically, the white burnous was worn during important events by men of high positions. Today, men of different social standing may wear it for ceremonial occasions, such as weddings or on religious and national holidays.
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Origin
- Cultural significance
- In Algeria
- Burnous in other cultures
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Urban Algerian man wearing a white/beige burnous, 19thcentury A burnous (), also burnoose, burnouse, bournous or barnous, is a long cloak of coarse woollen fabric with a pointed hood, often white, traditionally worn by Arab and Berber men in North Africa. Historically, the white burnous was worn during important events by men of high positions. Today, men of different social standing may wear it for ceremonial occasions, such as weddings or on religious and national holidays.
== Origin == The word burnous () is an Arabic word for a "long, loose hooded cloak worn by Arabs," which itself is derived from the Greek word "birros". The word is found in a hadith by Muhammad that prohibited the burnous and various other clothing during Hajj. In Mashriqi sources, it denotes a long hood or body garment. The burnous was also present in the early Muslim Arabian Peninsula. Various nineteenth century sources have referred to the burnous as an Arab cloak.