PERSIA 



237 



without wristbands, and it seldom comes below the hips. The trousers, or zerejumah, of 

 the upper classes are made of cloth, while the lower classes have trousers of white, blue, or 

 red cotton. They are held up by a cord of red or green silk, worn round the waist. When 

 at work or when running, the working classes tuck up the ends of the trousers under this 

 cord, and leave the leg bare to the middle of the thigh. Over the shirt and zerejumah comes 

 the alka-luk, or closely fitting, collarless garment, open in the front and with sleeves tight to 

 the elbow. Above this is the coat, sometimes of coloured satin, gold-embroidered, or coloured 

 calico, according to the wearer's means. Like the alka-luk, it is open in front, and shows 

 the shirt. The length of the coat denotes the class of the wearer. The military and official 

 classes and upper servants of the nobility wear it short, not descending below the knee. 

 Priests, merchants, lawyers, doctors, and others wear it so long that it touches the heels. 

 The long juba, or cloth cloak, must also be mentioned. The kemmerbund, or belt, is a 

 characteristic article of apparel. Among priests, merchants, and traders it consists of muslin 

 or cotton cloth. Merchants and the literary class the Mirzas carry in it a pen-case and roll 

 of paper, while all classes use its folds as pockets. The priests generally wear a white turban, 

 and so also do manv of the merchants. The national hat, however, is the kola. It consists 

 of dark cloth or sheep-skin over a pasteboard frame. The most expensive are made of the 

 black skin of the foetal lamb. The bulk of the people wear coloured lamb-skin or sheep- 

 skin hats with the wool long. Fashion in hats is constantly changing, but does not affect 

 their peculiar form except to increase or diminish the height by an inch or two. 



The women also wear trousers, which, however, are very wide. Frequently each leg is 

 wider than the skirt of an ordinary gown. The trousers of ladies of high rank are made of 

 very rich material, such as gold brocade, and are decorated with pearls and other ornaments. 

 Persian ladies have been known to wear as many as ten or eleven pairs at once, one over 

 the other. 



Chilian (boiled rice) and pillau (also of rice), but in a greasy and pudding-like form, 

 are among the chief articles of diet in Persia. Fruit, sweetmeats, and sherbet are freely 

 taken. In spite of the Koran, which prohibits its use, wine plays a conspicuous part in 

 Persian life. Tobacco is consumed in large quantities by means of the nargltileh, in which 

 the smoke is cooled 

 by being drawn over 

 water before coming 

 into the mouth. 



In Persia air- 

 dried bricks are used 

 for building. These 

 bricks are often made 

 of earth or rubbish 

 from the roads, and 

 houses in conse- 

 quence do not last 

 very long. The bricks 

 of old buildings are, 

 however, used in the 

 construction of new 

 ones. " Houses, 

 palaces, and whole 

 villages are aban- 

 doned for a whim, on 

 account of evil prog- 

 nostics, or in case 

 of death" (Ratzel). 



A GKOTP OF GILIAK> 



