Fez Moroccan Hat

About the Moroccan Hat

Fez is one of Morocco's oldest and most important cities, known for its traditional Moroccan fez hat and rich cultural heritage. The city combines medieval architecture with vibrant culture, featuring the famous Fes el-Bali medina (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the beautiful Al-Qarawiyyin University (the world's oldest university), and the iconic tanneries.

Named after the city itself, the brimless red felt cap known in English as the "fez" is linked to Fez through its long-standing reputation for producing and dyeing such headgear, though the often-repeated story that its crimson colour came from a berry dye unique to the city is traditional rather than documented. The cap spread widely after Sultan Mahmud II's clothing reforms of the 1820s made it standard dress across the Ottoman Empire, which is also why Turkey banned it under the Hat Law of 1925. In Morocco, where it is usually called the tarbouch, it remains formal and ceremonial wear, and Fez artisans still market it as a product tied to the city's name.