Battoulah (ar|بطوله|baṭṭūleh; fa|بتوله), also called Gulf Burqah (ar|البرقع الخليجي),[1] is a metallic-looking fashion mask traditionally worn by Khaleeji Arab and Bandari Persian Muslim women in the area around the Persian Gulf.[2]
The mask is mainly worn in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates as well as some parts of eastern Saudi Arabia and southern Iran.[3] The mask usually indicates that the wearer is married. Historically, it was also used to fool enemies into thinking that the women they spied from a distance were actually men.[4]
The origin of the battoulah is unknown.[5] Multiple theories exist on where it may have originated. It is thought to have entered the Eastern Arabian Peninsula from Gujarat in late 18th century.[6]
Multiple variants of the battoulah exist, and some are specific to cities and regions. The "Zabeel cut" design has a narrow top and a broad, curved bottom, and is worn in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The variant worn in Sharjah resembles the Zabeel cut, but is shaped so the top of the mask is inclined forwards. The Al Ain design features both a narrow top and bottom. The Bahraini and Qatari burqa is square. In Oman and Fujairah it is very large and broader at the top with a tip that goes beyond the forehead. In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the niqab is worn instead. In southern provinces of Iran, Shia women wear red rectangular masks, while those of Sunni women are black or indigo with gold, similar to the mask worn in the Arabian peninsula. In Qeshm, the masks were designed to fool invaders, so they would mistake women for male soldiers.
The wearing of battouleh is declining among the younger generation.[7]