Ali al-Tamimi displays a gold-banded agal inside his workshop at Amarah’s Grand Market, where he produces dozens of traditional headband styles tailored to tribal customs across Iraq. Photo by 964media.
In Maysan, agal maker keeps 100 styles alive as craft fades
MAYSAN — In the Grand Market of Amarah, artisan Ali al-Tamimi says he still makes more than 100 types of agals, tailoring the traditional headband to local custom and the subtle signals carried through tribal dress.
Al-Tamimi said agal designs vary sharply by geography. Across central Euphrates governorates such as Karbala, Babil and Najaf, he said customers prefer slimmer agals with a smaller diameter. Farther south, including Dhi Qar, larger sizes are more common. He said Gulf styles have also shaped local preferences, including the “karkousha,” a tassel attached to the agal that he said was introduced by makers in Qatar and later adapted by Iraqi craftsmen from two tassels to four.
He said some buyers ask for distinctive, nontraditional designs. Al-Tamimi said he often receives requests from young men and traditional chanters seeking “an unfamiliar agal,” prompting him to develop new models. Some pieces can reach $100, he said.
The craft is shrinking, according to al-Tamimi, who said only six master agal makers remain in the region, most working in districts and subdistricts.
Agals are typically made from wool or silk thread, with silver or gold thread added for special orders, he said. Production can take up to four days. Al-Tamimi said he still produces the traditional gold-banded agal once worn by tribal leaders, though demand has declined as many now favor the plain black Iraqi style.
“Imported agals come from three countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Syria,” al-Tamimi told 964media. “Local production includes about 100 models made for many Iraqi governorates, depending on tribal taste and preferences.”
He said some western governorates, areas north of Baghdad and Muthanna tend to favor imported or Gulf-style agals made without rear tassels.
“They come as two rings made from silk or wool thread, without the karkousha,” he said, adding that sizes vary in thickness and diameter.
“Demand, shape and additions differ from one governorate to another,” al-Tamimi said. “In Maysan, they ask for quarter- and third-size agals with thickness ranging from 4 to 10 centimeters.”
He said the gold-banded agal remains associated with older traditions. “The gold-banded agal is very old and was worn during the monarchy,” al-Tamimi said, adding that it is now used mainly by some tribal leaders and for reenactments and mourning rituals during Muharram and Safar.