Karakul (hat)

Karakul (hat)

A Karakul (or Qaraqul) hat (Urdu, Pashto, Persian: قراقلی; also known as a Jinnah Cap in Pakistan for its frequent use by the country's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah) is a hat made from the fur of the Qaraqul breed of sheep, often from the fur of aborted lamb foetuses. The triangular hat is part of the costume of the native people of Kabul which has been worn by generations dating back in Afghanistan. The fur from which it is made is referred to as Astrakhan, broadtail, qaraqulcha, or Persian lamb. Qaraqul means Black fur in Turkic, similar types of hats are common among Turkic peoples. The hat is peaked, and folds flat when taken off of the wearer's head.

The qaraqul hat is typically worn by men in Central and South Asia. Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, wears a qaraqul hat. The folding Qaraqul was worn by the former king of Afghanistan Amanullah Khan in 1919. Thereafter, every Afghan king or president has worn this hat. It is a traditional Kabuli costume.