You may not know it but two things beloved in the West actually originated from Turkey: the scarf and the tulip, and very often you will find tulip motifs embellishing the most elegant Turkish scarf. But to the young Turkish maidens who embroidered them, the Turkish scarf was not only a garment to cover their heads and faces, but it was also a medium to communicate the things they could not quite put into words.

The elegant Turkish scarf, through the particular colors and motifs, became a means to convey their innermost feelings and yearnings. For instance, blue flowers embroidered in a Turkish scarf spoke of hope and a surging enthusiasm. A green scarf might denote desire, while a yellow scarf meant the young woman was missing her beloved.

The poetry embodied in the Turkish scarf was not limited for use by the young maidens. A married woman could not be so open about her feelings to her husband; but she could convey messages through the scarf that she chose to wear. If she wanted to say she was very happy in her home, she would wear a Turkish scarf embroidered with green silk. An unhappy bride would wear a scarf stitched with pepper motifs.

The more luxurious origins of the Turkish scarf were in the ornate garments embroidered for the court of the Ottoman sultans. They would use lush silk fabrics on which they would stitch elegant spirals, embellished with beautiful flower or fruit figures like roses, pomegranates, and tulips. Tulips are flowers indigenous to Turkey, and they introduced these to Holland early in the sixteenth century, as a gesture of friendship because Holland welcomed the Muslims expelled from Spain in 1492.

In modern times, the Turkish scarf and its derivatives have become treasured accessories in women’s fashion all over the world, with prices that compare reasonably to other scarves of the same quality. New fabrics have been used, and a chiffon Turkish scarf is a favorite among women because it is so lightweight yet does not easily slip. You can also find scarves beautifully decorated with fringes (called oya in Turkey). These fringes may consist of edgings that are tatted on the scarf or crocheted.

It has been a long journey for the Turkish scarf from Turkey. Modern women no longer use the scarf to speak for them. But there are few things quite as lovely to see as a woman’s face delicately wrapped by the wonderfully elegant Turkish scarf.