Moroccan kaftan

In the Presence of the Sultan of Morocco (13th century), In this miniature, the Moroccan Sultan and Almohad caliph Abu Hafs Umar Al-Murtada appears in a caftan embroidered with the sififa (half collar), taking advice in his court in Marrakesh from his entourage the day after he received the ambassadors of Castile. Painting from the 13th-century manuscript "Las Cantigas de Santa Maria", preserved in the Escorial Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Chérifa Lalla-Messaouda, the mother of the Saadi dynasty sultan Ahmad al-Mansur. 16th century

In Morocco, the kaftan is a very old tradition, deeply rooted in the country's clothing habits. This dress was also worn in the 13th century at the time of the Marinid dynasty,[3][4] by Moroccan royalty.[5]

Ibn Khaldun referred to the Marinid sultans' "dar-al-tiraz", which he called a Marinid innovation.[6] Its name and distant roots are said to be found in the Persian heritage introduced to Morocco and al-Andalus by Muslim conquerors. However, the evolution and adaptation as a ceremonial dress for women has made it a very different garment from the Persian and Ottoman caftans.

In the beginning of the 13th century, there were 3,096 weavers in the city of Fez.[7][8] A new type of kaftan was introduced by Sultan Ahmad al-Mansur that took the name Al-Mansouria in reference to his name.[9] It was in his era the kaftan was widely adopted by the general public.

According to Naima El Khatib Boujibar, however, the kaftan might only have been introduced to Morocco by the Saadi Sultan Abd al-Malik, who had lived in Algiers and Istanbul. Abd al-Malik dressed in Ottoman fashion, spoke Turkish, reorganised his army and administration in imitation of Ottoman practices and used Ottoman Turkish titles for his officials.[10] Abd al-Malik decided to change his subjects’ clothing and ordered them to dress in Turkish fashion, his brother Ahmad al-Mansur who was brought up in Turkey adopted Turkish clothing and was greatly influenced by Ottoman culture and customs, his army adopted Turkish costumes and titles.[11][12] During their reign aspects of Ottoman culture had been introduced to Morocco.[13]

The kaftan has become a masterpiece for Moroccan city dwellers. Carved from beautiful materials imported from Europe, and worn by dignitaries (men) and the notables of the great Moroccan cities including Fez and Meknes.

Originally, only the sultans and their wives had the privilege of obtaining such an expensive garment, since the seamstresses spent months shaping it, embroidering it, beading it by hand, in noble weavings and with gold and silver thread.

The kaftan, commonly worn by Moroccan men and women, is an everyday garment. However, the holiday one was enriched with trimmings of gold and silver threads.

All city dwellers had to wear their kaftan in the afternoon. They met in their homes or on the terraces of houses to exchange their impressions on things or just to get occupied with their hobbies such as embroidery.

The caftan texture can be extracted from sheet, velvet, brocaded silk, sateen or cotton, textiles which are made locally or imported from Europe or the Orient for the rarest. In the XVIIth century, during the reign of Moulay Ismaïl, the merchants of the big cities brought in large quantities of fine silk and wool sheets, of all colors and all kinds, such as brocade, velvet, striped or plain taffeta and scarlet.

Morocco has preserved its ancestral craftsmanship and expertise such as weaving, embroidery and trimmings like the Ben Cherif family who maintained the back-strap weaving technique, the making of gold and silver thread and embroidery, which is currently experiencing a clear development.

The Moroccan Jewish kaftan, is that of Fez made of gold thread embroidery called "n’taâ".

The Moroccan stylists were able to adapt their skills to the changing times. Today the kaftan is designed to be more tight and cut closer to the body, to better fit the silhouette, as a result, it has become a modern and elegant garment, easy to wear, but adorned with a prestige that derives its origins from the legendary past. It remains the privileged item of clothing for Moroccan women, whether young or old. The Moroccan caftan is now a skillful combination of elegance, refinement and comfort, yet the past is not denied.

Moroccan kaftans can be worn on special or official occasions, depending on the used materials.[14]