Burnous

A burnous (Berber languages: ⴰⴱⵔⵏⵓⵙ abernus), also burnoose, bournous or barnous, is a long cloak of coarse woollen fabric with a pointed hood, often white in colour, traditionally worn by Berber men in North Africa.[1] In antiquity this garment was referred to as byruss Numidicus meaning “Numidian hooded cloak” and was mentioned as such in the Expositio totius mundi et gentium.[2] In the Maghreb, the colour of the burnous may be white, beige, or dark brown. There are rock engravings near Sigus that attest the existence of the burnous in the ancient times, it was also worn by the Numidians.[3][4]

Urban Algerian man wearing a white/beige burnous, 19th century
Algerian military leader Abd el-Kader wearing a burnous in 1865
A French Spahi uniform c. 1960 with a distinctive white burnous


Historically, the white burnous was worn during important events by men of high positions. Today, men of different social standing may wear it for ceremonial occasions, such as weddings or on religious and national holidays.[5][6][7]

Cultural significance

In Algeria

During the French colonial period in Algeria (1830-1962), the burnous became a symbol of resistance and identity for Algerians. Many Algerians, including those who were not nomadic, began wearing the burnous as a way to assert their cultural heritage and resist French influence. The burnous was also worn during the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962), both as a symbol of resistance and as a practical garment for guerrilla fighters operating in the mountains and deserts.[8]

Today, the burnous remains an important symbol of Algerian culture and identity. It is often worn on special occasions, such as weddings and religious festivals, and is sometimes used as a costume in traditional dance performances.[9][10]

Burnous in other cultures

The burnous became a distinctive part of the uniform of the French Army of Africa's spahi cavalry, recruited in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. It was also sometimes worn unofficially by officers or soldiers of other units in North Africa. The white burnous remains part of the parade uniform of the one remaining spahi regiment of the French Army: the 1st Spahi Regiment.

Other names for a burnous include albornoz, sbernia, sberna, and bernusso.

See also

References
  1. Baraudon, Alfred (1893). Algérie et Tunisie: récits de voyage et études (in French). E. Plon, Nourrit.
  2. Wilson, Andrew. "Archaeological evidence for textile production and dyeing in Roman North Africa." Purpureae Vestes. Textiles y tintes del Mediterráneo en época romana (2004): 155-164.
  3. Ancient Civilizations of Africa. G. Mokhtar. UNESCO.
  4. Rome depuis sa fondation jusqu'a la chute de l'empire par Mary Lafon. Mary-Lafon. Furne.
  5. CHANCEL, Ausone de (1858). D'une immigration de noirs libres en Algérie (in French). Bastide. p. 40.
  6. Encyclopédie du costume: des peuples de l'Antiquité à nos jours ainsi que, Nouvelles editions latines. Maurice Cottaz. (1990). Page 80. ISBN 2-7233-0421-3. Date:02-08-2016.
  7. El Briga, C. (1992). "Burnous". Encyclopédie berbère (11): 1668–1669. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.1883 – via journals.openedition.org.
  8. Barbet, Charles. Au pays des burnous: impressions et croquis d'Algérie. Mallebay, 1898.
  9. "The Burnous in Algerian Memory and History" by James McDougall, published in the Journal of North African Studies (Volume 13, Issue 1, 2008).
  10. Fisquet, Honoré (1842). Histoire de l'Algérie depuis les temps anciens jusqu'à nos jours, etc (in French). A la Direction. pp. 89–92.
  • Media related to Burnus at Wikimedia Commons
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