Bandari Iran

In the south of Iran, the province of Hormozagan is situated near the Persian Gulf. Here the women of the Bandari wear a veil which is closely related to the Omani veils (a purple batulah) but also a bright red colored niqab. These veils are heavily decorated with embroidery and sometimes sequins are sewn onto the veils as well.

Looking closely at these veils, it becomes clear that with the decoration a cultural combination is seen between Indian and Arabian style. This is not strange because the people of this Iranian province are a cultural mix due to thousands of years of trade between Arabia, India, Persia, Baktria and Africa. In fact, Bandari also live in Oman and the veils are found there as well.

The veils are made by hand by the women and the variation is found in the lines and stitches of the embroidery, not so much in the shape of the veils. A black panel is decorated first, after which the fold in the center is constructed and the slits for the eyes are made. Here, as can be found on the entire Arabian Peninsula, a ridge or rim is supported extra by stitches on the center of the veil. For additional information check out this blog.

(The images on this page are made by Paul Nevin, Linda Cetacea, Amir Rehza Fakhri and Majid Khamseh Nia)