The charm of "katla el ghanbouz" from the city of Kairouan in a vast geographic area going from the Middle-Atlas region of the Sahara, remain even nowadays a feminine suits whose origin goes back to the time of the Romans.

To see the big variety of these suits, we have difficulty in believing that they all are practically of the alternatives of the same very simple vestimentary technique, which likes at the same moment of the Greek chiton and the Roman peplos: that of the drape.

The Haik, is about a long fabric - 6m x 2,20m - rolled up then maintained to the size by a belt and brought back then on the shoulders to be fixed there by fibules.

It can be white or black by mourning it appears to a "bey" (sovereign) deceased. Formerly, the use of the black is daily while the white is reserved for the family ceremonies but the girls always prefer the white with the detriment of the black carried by the old women. Once washed it had to be stretched "jabbed" at Baëk Gdah.

The legend tells that the Haïk finds its origin in XVIth century during the invasion of Tunisia by the Normans of Sicily and of the Spanish led by Charles Quint and a little later by the Barber. Indeed, during this period of chaos to guard itself against the greeds of the conquerors the women protected themselves by the Haik which hides all the body.

Now, with the emancipation of the woman, it disappears more and more (too much cumbersome) and gradually becomes almost non-existent leaving the place to “Sefsari” immense scarf (3m X 1,80) which wraps all their body when they go out. (more practical) to the stereotype even more skin-tight bodysuit / jeans! Everything to show nothing to suggest.

Less varied than the costume of the rural women, the traditional costume of town is characterized by the sobriety of the dress of outside (haïk) and by great richness of the dress of interior (fouta and blouza).

Mohamed Rebai
info@kairouan.org