# Colour coded turbans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579 "2003-06-22T14:23:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scarf-Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Scarf-Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarf-Ace)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/1 "2003-06-22T14:23:33Z")
I have noticed various Asian men wearing a variety of different colour turbans. I have seen black, orange, white, and green. Is this an indication of their position in their religious hierarchy, or simply a fashion choice? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/2 "2003-06-22T14:33:22Z")
Countries under sha’ria law did formelry require non-Muslims to wear colour coded turbans, (blue for Christian, yellow for Jewish, etc.) but this died out a long time ago and was only briefly reveived by the Taliban. The Sikh religion requires all men to wear turbans, but I think they can be any colour (for example the British police issue a special turban for Sikh Constables instead of a helmet). ---
**Author:** ![Alcibiades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cab0a1/32.png) [@Alcibiades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alcibiades)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/3 "2003-06-22T14:54:35Z")
I understand that if you claim descendency from Muhammed, you wear a black turban. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/4 "2003-06-22T14:54:37Z")
A Sikh friend of mine in secondary school wore a different coloured turban every day of the week, so I doubt that there’s any sort of denomination (at least these days). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/5 "2003-06-22T16:47:06Z")
Sikhs in the RCMP are issued dark navy turbans - just part of the uniform. ---
**Author:** ![cvandy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cvandy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cvandy3)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/6 "2003-06-22T18:23:49Z")
there is a guy down the street from me that has all kinds of colored turbans. i think its just fashion nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Agback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Agback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agback)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/7 "2003-06-22T21:53:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alcibiades \* > \*\*I understand that if you claim descendency from Muhammed, you wear a black turban. \*\* Black? I thought it was green. Regards, Agback ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/8 "2003-06-22T22:04:24Z")
This sounds like it could make for an excellent gimmick for 21st-century “B” movies – “Lissen, kid, you can tell which ones are the good Ay-rabs – they wear the white turbans!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/9 "2003-06-22T23:00:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > **Countries under sha’ria law did formelry require non-Muslims to wear colour coded turbans, (blue for Christian, yellow for Jewish, etc.) but this died out a long time ago and was only briefly reveived by the Taliban.** A long time ago meaning centuries or forty/fifty years ago when stars and triangles weren’t considered fun shapes to have in Lucky Charms? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/10 "2003-06-23T01:15:33Z")
The variation is huge and often indicates nothing at all. In some places, certain colors and styles are often associated with certain ethnic groups or regions. In a few ( Iran for example ), different colors signify different standards of descent ( Sayyid vs. non-Sayyid ) and religious learning among the ulema. But there is no universal standard in the Muslim world ( or among those non-Muslims that wear turbans, including Sikhs, some Hindus, some Buddhists and even some Christians, I believe ). Instead differences in headgear are highly regional. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/11 "2003-06-23T18:09:40Z")
According to a Sikh friend of mine, the colors (at least to that religion) make no difference. He said that when his parents go out, his dad tended to choose a color that would match whatever his mom was wearing. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/12 "2003-06-23T18:17:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by raisinbread \* > \*\*A long time ago meaning centuries or forty/fifty years ago when stars and triangles weren’t considered fun shapes to have in Lucky Charms? \*\* No, the practice died out centuries ago AFAIK (Taliban and excepted), were talking about colour coded turbans not Nazi badges. ---
**Author:** ![Scarf-Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Scarf-Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarf-Ace)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/13 "2003-06-29T14:31:49Z")
So, is tye-died out of the question then? ---
**Author:** ![Halloween\_Jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee7513/32.png) [@Halloween\_Jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Halloween_Jack)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/14 "2003-07-01T16:01:15Z")
Back in the nineteenth century, a green turban signified that the wearer had made the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), according to a biography of Richard Francis Burton; I don’t remember if that’s specific to a particular tradition or branch of Islam. (Burton studied Sufism for a while.) ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/15 "2003-07-01T16:24:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Meta-Gumble \* > \*\*So, is tye-died out of the question then? \*\* Not at all. One of the joys of traveling in Rajasthan is seeing the wide array of colors and styles of turbans that are on display. As this site, [http://www.rajasthanunlimited.com/artandculture/turb2.html](http://www.rajasthanunlimited.com/artandculture/turb2.html), says > [@](#): > > Some [turban] colours are seasonal. In February and March, flowers bloom and crops are harvested, men wear a falgunia turban having white and red designs.Come July and the predominant colour is motiya, or pearl-pink. A green and pink striped or yellow and red striped lahariya turban, **where the colours are tie-dyed in waves** , are worn during monsoon. > > [emphasis added] For the curious, the site linked above goes into further detail about the fashion and tradition of turbans in Rajasthan. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/16 "2003-07-01T17:58:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Halloween Jack \* > \*\*Back in the nineteenth century, a green turban signified that the wearer had made the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), according to a biography of Richard Francis Burton; I don’t remember if that’s specific to a particular tradition or branch of Islam. (Burton studied Sufism for a while.) \*\* Thanks to you, I found this thread in a vanity search! I do have something to add though. In Malaysia, only Moslems who have been to Mecca get to wear white caps. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Halloween\_Jack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee7513/32.png) [@Halloween\_Jack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Halloween_Jack)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/17 "2003-07-01T19:34:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hajario \* > \*\*Thanks to you, I found this thread in a vanity search! I do have something to add though. In Malaysia, only Moslems who have been to Mecca get to wear white caps. > > Haj \*\* You’re welcome, and thanks for the additional info. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/18 "2003-07-01T19:38:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by green\_bladder \* > \*\*A Sikh friend of mine in secondary school wore a different coloured turban every day of the week, so I doubt that there’s any sort of denomination (at least these days). \*\* Maybe this is the equivalent of wearing underwear with the days of the week printed on them… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/19 "2003-07-02T06:51:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > Countries under sha’ria law did formelry require non-Muslims to wear colour coded turbans, (blue for Christian, yellow for Jewish, etc.) but this died out a long time ago and was only briefly reveived by the Taliban. No, no, no. Tamerlane has this right. Some jurisprudence, if I recall correctly derived from Umar, had it that non-Muslims should wear distinctive clothing from Muslims, which _in **some** areas_ including yellow for Jews, etc. There was never a generalized rule on this (and certainly not turbans), and for example in North Africa yellow turbans are an old fixture of Berber tribes. In regards to the reporting by Burton, he’s not always reliable and again to stress the color coding is a highly regional issue. Further to that Sufism is **NOT** a seperate sect of Islam, although some Sufi _tariqa_ can get to that point. Sufism is a style or approach, the best analogy being to charismatics in Xianity, where you have Catholic and Protestant (and perhaps _Orthodox_ as well) charismatics with a huge variety of practice. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2003, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colour-coded-turbans/183579/20 "2003-07-02T10:05:18Z")
In Oman, which still has a strong tribal heritage (industrialization was disallowed by order of the old Sultan), headscarves (they aren’t really turbans, per se) are often colored to represent tribal allegiance.