Two Tunisian women wearing a safseri

The safseri (Tunisian Arabic: سفساري), sometimes also spelled sefseri, safsari or sefsari, is a traditional Tunisian veil worn by women.[1]

Composition

The safseri is composed of a large piece of cloth covering the whole body. It usually has a cream colour and is made of cotton, satin or silk.

Depending on the regions of Tunisia, it can also be very colorful, especially in the south of the country.[2]

Wear

It is worn by women out of modesty to avoid male looks. In contemporary Tunisia, this cloth is mostly worn by senior women. Often a grandmother wears it while her daughter will not wear it. After the independence of Tunisia, the president Habib Bourguiba had tried, in vain, to have people abandon its use.[3]

The cloth is today largely abandoned.[2]

References

  1. Chiraz Bouzaien, « Le sefseri, une tradition qui disparaît », Baya, 14 juillet 2012.
  2. 1 2 Jean-Pierre Filiu et Jean-Noël Jeanneney, « La Tunisie de Bourguiba », Concordance des temps, France Culture, 15 février 2014, 42e minute.
  3. « Bahia ou... ces femmes de Tunisie », Les femmes aussi, ORTF, 8 janvier 1968.
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