>>6452682
https://menwit.com/history-of-fez-hat
Fez Hat History
The city of Fez, in ancient Morocco, is believed by many to be the origin of the fez hat. When the Hajj pilgrimage was temporarily suspended in 980 AD, pilgrims living to the western side of the Nile river were directed to Fez as an effective alternative to the holy city Mecca. Here, a Moor merchant started the supplies of a new style of headdress, which quickly became popular due to the heavy influx of pilgrims in the city. Fez initially had a monopoly on the manufacture of fezzes, because the berry used to color the hats was planted only there.
With time, this style lost its appeal, and was found only with a few people. However, interest in the hat was reignited in 1826, when Sultan Mahmud II of the Ottoman Empire was looking to change the traditional garb of his civil officers into something new. Initially, he thought of using a triangular hat of European descent. However, his advisors pointed out to the three corners represented the Holy Trinity of the Christians, which could sow discord amongst his largely Muslim subjects. So, when a shipment of fezzes arrived from Tunisia, they were selected instead. The hat was publicized as being a badge of identification for Turkish subjects, and even those citizens who were not Muslims were obliged to wear them. Smaller fezzes without tassels were made even for the women. Although it took a while for this fashion to catch on, by the 1900s, the fez had become extremely popular, and was considered to be the national headdress of Turkey.
At one time, the fez was even a symbol of protest against the French occupation of Morocco. However, the legend of the origin has been disputed by other theories, which state that the fez originated in ancient Greece or from the Balkans, but not in Morocco. With the discovery of synthetic dyes in the 19th century, the headdress started being manufactured across Europe. By the beginning of the 20th century, Austria had become the new capital of the fez manufacturing industry.
The fez again came up against a wall in 1925, when the new leader of Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, felt that it was a sign of being backward. He felt that traditional garments should be replaced by British suits and styles. To push Turkey towards alleged modernization, the fez was banned. However, this ban was not taken well by the people of the country, leading to several riots, and large numbers of fezzes being confiscated as illegal contraband. When an attempt was made to overthrow Ataturk, and bring back the fez, 9 - 10 people were shot and killed, virtually making the fez disappear.