Monday 01 / July / 2024
MUSCAT: With just over a couple of days left to celebrate Eid Al Fitr, buying of clothes is one of most-sought exercise by men and women in the Sultanate of Oman.
Traditional dresses on festive occasions are part of Oman’s rich heritage and culture. For Omani men, the headgear holds a special place and Mussar certainly is a symbol of pride and elegance.
The Mussar is part of Oman’s culture, and a lot goes into the purchase of the headgear, with the quality varying from cheap to very expensive pieces.
Ahead of Eid Al Fitr, there has been a general rush at shops selling the headgear, with the main shops in Muscat located in Muttrah Souq, OC Centre in Ruwi and SABCO Centre in Al Qurum.
Mussar is mainly produced in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir with the wool for Mussar generally derived from the neck and underbelly of Kashmiri Mountain goats.
Pashmina is the most common material that Omanis use to wrap around their head with a good quality of Pashmina Mussar ranging from OMR 50-400.
With the options of cheaper Mussars also available and shopkeepers confirming that those come from China, people can even get a Mussar for OMR15. However, most of the shop owners said that the cheaper Mussars are not preferred by the locals.
According to Waleed bin Mohammed Al Maimani, owner of the Golden Mussar shop in Muttrah Souq, “the manufacturing of Mussars can be by hand or machine, but the hand-made and embroidered ones are the best, though printed Mussars are also available.”
He said: “The best raw material for Mussar comes from Jammu and Kashmir and it is either Pashmina or Shahtoosh. The longevity of Mussar depends on the way it is handled by the person. It is a very delicate piece of wool and can’t be washed in normal way. It has to be dry cleaned or steam washed and then kept in a plastic wrap if not in use. Mussar definitely can’t be washed in a machine.”
Al Maimani added: “There are different types of Mussars available in the market and one has to be careful while buying. Softness of Mussars is one of the key qualities to know how good a Mussar is.”
The wrapped mussar sits like a crown on an Omani man’s head and is a powerful symbol of the Sultanate’s glorious cultural diversity and national identity.
Mussar turbans and the embroidered caps called kummah are both part of the official Omani traditional dress.
However, the mussar is always worn for formal meetings, as it is more formal and wearing it is a sign of respect. It is an essential part of a man’s wedding attire along with the khanjar that is worn around the waist. Mussar can be tied on the head with or without a kummah beneath it. A kummah gives it a more structured form, but some also prefer to wear them without the kummah.
Al Maimani said: “Mussar is cut into a square, and embellished with designs that are lead printed using patterns chiselled on wooden tablets. The design is then embroidered using fine threads before the mussar is thoroughly washed to clean it of the lead and other residual material. It is then packed and sent across to Oman for sale.”
Yet another owner of a shop selling Mussar, Mohammed Al Balushi, said: “Men prefer to match their mussar to the colour of their dishdasha and pick an appropriate style.
“The three main styles of Mussar available are the Termah, the most popular across the Sultanate, which features different and colourful patterns; the Al Subaaia Mussar, usually worn in Sur and Dhofar, which is colourful, but made without patterns; and there are two types of Al Saidi Mussar, one of them is blue and it’s called turban and is worn only by the Royal Family members, and the other one features only one pattern in one colour and can be worn by anyone.
In Oman, the way to wear Mussar can also identify the region from where he belongs to. Through the generations, the styles have carried on, though young men nowadays like to experiment with different regional styles as a fashion statement.
Al Balushi said: “When shopping for a Mussar, the most important thing to know is which material has been used and what method was employed for stitching. Mussars are generally made using Kashmiri wool, which is sheared from the sheep that inhabit the cold mountains of Kashmir in South Asia and considered to be the most suitable for this craft, thanks to its smooth texture and consistency.
“There are many types of Kashmiri wool, though the majority of Mussars worn in Oman are made of Pashmina. Pashmina prices ranges from OMR 60 to 450 depending on the quality, which is determined by the smoothness of the extracted wool.”
Hand-sewn Mussar are considered the finest and most beautiful because a specific design will never be repeated. The hand-stitched strings have accuracy creating total cohesion of the threads that emphasise the elaborate designs when worn. Because of the effort and time spent, mussar made by hand are the most expensive.
Al Maimani said: “Machine-stitched Mussars are easier to produce and significantly less expensive, though the mass produced Mussars feature the same designs. Mussars with printed designs are considered to be the lowest quality as the embroidery wears and loses colour quickly.
Moath Al Saeedi from the Wilayat of Al Khabourah, said: “Omanis usually like to wear the Mussar during work hours and on public and private occasions. But the festive occasions of Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha are special, and it is a tradition to buy a Mussar, which may range from OMR8 to OMR200.”
He added: “Every Eid, I make it a point to buy a Mussar that may cost me from OMR50-100 depending on my choice of wool, pattern and colour.”
Mohammed Al Badi, said: “I buy a Mussar on every Eid and go for a price range between OMR 20-45. For me, the colours and embroidery matters. Wearing a Mussar is a source of pride for any Omani and sends a strong message of our Omani identity.”
Heading to a shop to buy a Mussar, Nasser Al Mamari, said: “Mussar is one of the important elements while dressing on the occasion of Eid Al Fitr. The Omani youths should be made aware of the types of Mussar and be educated on how to differentiate between a good and bad quality product. In recent times, we have witnessed Chinese-made Mussars flood the market and shockingly, they are being sold at a much-higher rates despite their cheap quality.”
