Along Iran’s coastline, on the island of Qesham in the strait of Hurmoz, women have been wearing masks for centuries. The style and colour of these masks vary according to region, ethnicity but most noticeably according to religious affiliation e.g. Red rectangular masks are worn by Shia or Bandari women while the sunni women wear black and gold masks. These masks are known as “‘Battoulah”
Various variants of the Battoulah exist, including between cities and regions. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the “Zabeel cut” design, which has a narrow top and broad with a curved bottom is worn. In Sharjah it 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 veil is square similar to the Irani mask. In Oman and Fujairah it is very large and broader at the top with a tip that goes beyond the forehead. In Qesham, the masks were designed to fool invaders, so they would mistake women for male soldiers.