Another lady wearing an ‘ücetek’ (robe with three panels: one wide at the back side, and two smaller in front).
This one is made from striped silk, and embroidered in black. The motif used is a ‘üc ok’ (three arrows), a very old Turkish tribal symbol referring to the Oğuz tribes, whose history can be traced back to the 7th century A.D.
The lace decoration of the headscarf and of the skirt is called ‘oya’.
As you already noticed, the lady is black. She is a servant.
In late Ottoman times (18th – 19th century) rich families in the south of Anatolia had often some black servants, imported from Egypt; they originated (mostly) from Nubia.
Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.