From veils to turbans: Face coverings in African cultures

The Sahara Desert and the Sahel zone are home to the Tuareg people who live nomadically on the African continent. The turban head covering of the Tuaregs, as well as the face veils worn by the men, protect them from the sun and sand. Yet they're not only worn for functional reasons: Head coverings convey respect and dignity, while donning the veil is also a male rite of passage into adulthood.

Only Tuareg men cover their faces. According to tradition, the veil protects against the spirits of the dead, called "Kel Eru," who could try to enter them while traveling through the desert. Historically, Tuareg turbans and veils were dyed with indigo, which leaves traces of coloring on one's skin. Because of this, Tuaregs were known as the "blue people" of the desert.

The Tuareg people belong to the larger group of Berbers, nomadic people residing in North Africa. These days, many of them are now settled in specific locations. In Niger, they call themselves "Imajeghen," in Algeria and Lybia "Imuhagh," and "Imushagh" in Mali. The foreign word "Tuareg" goes back to the Berber word "Targa," which was used to describe a province in Libya.

The traditional headdresses and face veils of the Tuareg are called "Tagelmust" or "litham." The yellow "litham" in the photo is worn by a man living in the Moroccan part of the Sahara. He belongs to the Berbers of Morocco. Traditionally during conflicts, a cloth like this made the wearer harder to recognize.

Like the Tuaregs and Berbers, Bedouins are also nomadic desert dwellers. They live on the Arabian Peninsula and in neighboring states including Israel and Egypt. The name of the cloth that this man in the picture wears in the Libyan Desert of Egypt is called "Kufiya," or in some areas "Ghutra" or "Hatta." How it's worn varies from region to region.

It is also the men and not the women who veil themselves among the Tubu people, who mostly live in the northern Chad basin. The men are in charge of sewing clothes as well. The Tubu often work as shepherds, taking care of sheep and goats or breeding camels.

The veil is also to be found in the state of Kano in the West African Republic of Nigeria, as worn here by the current emir. Until March 2020, this was Muhammadu Sanusi II (pictured above at his appointment in 2014). His successor is Aminu Ado Bayero. The Emir of Kano is the second most important Muslim leader in the country after the Sultan.

Many female Muslims cover their faces with a niqab. It is widespread on the Arabian Peninsula, but less frequently in North Africa. The woman in this picture also wears the traditional abaya — a floor-length overcoat — and a headscarf. However, Morocco imposed a burqa and niqab sales ban in 2017. This could have been due to security concerns.

Religious women in Somalia dress differently today. While Muslims traditionally did not cover their faces with a niqab in this East African country, it has been seen more often since the 1980s due to the increased influence of Islam — especially in cities. In the picture, some students in Mogadishu wear a niqab.

A little further south, in Zanzibar, which is a part of Tanzania, there are also women who cover their faces. Almost exclusively Muslims live in the Zanzibar archipelago. Covering the face is no longer uncommon on the entire African continent.

Due to the coronavirus, in Kenya, for example, it is now mandatory to wear a face covering n in public. But not everyone can afford disposable masks. In Kibera, an impoverished neighborhood in Nairobi, designer David Ochieng distributes reusable fabric masks which he and his company, Lookslike Avido, make for those in need.

Designer David Ochieng (pictured), who goes by the name Avido, is seen here wearing one of the masks he made. Avido grew up in the neighborhood of Kibera and typically wears his own designs. This fall, his company Lookslike Avido was invited to attend the Ökorausch-Festival in Cologne, Germany, which highlights sustainable design.

Furniture-maker Sara Reeves was forced to close her workshop in Nairobi during the coronavirus crisis, so she and her team turned to making masks instead. They use the colorful kitenge fabrics typical of East Africa. She donates one mask for each she sells. In this way, masks will "get into the hands and onto the faces of people in need of protection," says Reeves.

Around 300 seamstresses in a factory in Nairobi produce around 20,000 disposable masks every day. Some factories in Kenya have shifted production to make surgical masks and other protective equipment, often with no prior experience. The same is happening around the world, in countries including Mexico and the Palestinian territories, where factories are adapting to meet the growing need for gear.