The fez is a felt headdress in the shape of a short cylindrical peakless hat, usually red, and sometimes with a tassel attached to the top. The name "fez" refers to the Moroccan city of Fez, where the dye to colour the hat was extracted from crimson berries. The modern fez owes much of its popularity to the Ottoman era.

The fez was a symbol not only of Ottoman affiliation but also of religious adherence to Islam. It was also the main headdress for Christians and Jews during the Ottoman Empire. Jewish men wore the fez and referred to it by the Arabic name "Tarboush", especially Arab-Jews (mostly Egyptian, Syrian and Palestinian). In southern Asia, the fez had been adopted due to its links with the Ottoman Empire.

Today, the fez is worn by many, most prominently in Morocco. In Morocco, it became a more pronounced cultural symbol in the 20th-century against French dominance. It is still favoured among the royal court.

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