Who Wears a Tagelmust, and Why?
Tuareg People
The Tagelmust is worn by a diverse range of people, primarily across North Africa, with its use rooted in practicality and cultural identity. The Tuareg people, an indigenous Berber group spanning Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Libya, are the most iconic wearers, earning the moniker "Blue Men" due to the indigo dye staining their skin. They use it to protect against the Sahara’s extreme conditions—sunburn, sandstorms, and temperature swings—wearing it as a turban, face veil, or full-body wrap.
Historical records from the Journal of African History (Vol. 15, 1974) indicate its use by Tuareg traders and warriors along trans-Saharan routes since at least the 7th century AD, facilitating long-distance travel.
Other nomadic tribes
Other groups, such as the Bedouins of the Middle East and various Berber tribes from Morocco to Somalia, also wear the Tagelmust for similar protective purposes during desert crossings. Its adoption extends to modern contexts: travelers, adventurers, and even military personnel value its utility. In Europe, particularly France, it became a fashion accessory after the colonial era, with French soldiers and later civilians adopting it post-World War II, as noted in Fashion and Colonialism by Timothy Burke (1996).
The French Explorers
It's in the 1894 expedition of Henri Duveyrier, when the French explorers observed Tuareg men using the Tagelmust to navigate sandstorms in the Ahaggar Mountains, preserving their health and orientation. This practicality, documented in The Tuareg of the Sahara (Duveyrier, 1894), explains its widespread adoption.
Sources:
- Journal of African History, Vol. 15 (1974).
- Burke, T. (1996). Fashion and Colonialism. Duke University Press.
- Duveyrier, H. (1894). The Tuareg of the Sahara.
