File:Druze man.jpg

Druze Man of Lebanon

This striking Druze is a sheikh of a village in the mountains near Beit-Eddine. The clothes he wears today are similar in many ways to those worn by his ancestors a number of generations back.

His outer garment is the striped wool abba. Under it he wears a black wool shirt cut in the old style with a narrow band collar. His trousers are the sherwal made of the black wool cloth, also.

The finest sherwals are four or five times as wide as the wearer but fit is easily achieved with a drawstring at the waist. Outside seams often are piped with rows of silk braid which end in graceful arabesque designs appliqued by the tailor's practiced hands.

His tarboush is wrapped with a white scarf which denotes his stature as a Druze sheikh. He wears a hand-woven scarf around his waist.

A black abaya is worn over this costume as added protection against the cold winters in the mountains. Sometimes a Druze man wears a long black gambaz instead of a shirt and sherwal. In summer he might wear a severely cut cream colored or black silk gambaz.

The Druze who strictly keeps his faith and who wears the traditional garments, dresses only in hand woven materials. On the average of one out of five villages has its own weaver.