Taj-e Haydari


The Taj-e Haydari, was a type of headdress introduced circa 1501–1502 during the early Safavid era in Iran, when the future Shah Ismail captured Tabriz. The headdress consisted in a cap with a tall red projection, often wrapped in a white turban around its base. The tall red projection has 12 sides, in memory of the twelve Shiite imams, and may be complemented by a red plume in the center.
The headdress was originally invented by, and named after Shaykh Haydar, father of Ismail I, founder of the Safavid dynasty. According to a legend, Haydar saw the new headdress in a dream.
The Taj-e Haydari became a rallying sign for the new dynasty, and is also a chronological marker for artistic works of the period. The Taj-e Haydari is the reason why the partisans of the Safavids were called "Qizil bash" by the Turks.
This headgear differed from the Turkman taqiya, which consisted in a kolah conical cap with a turban. The Mughal Tāj-i 'Izzat may also have been created in response to the Taj-e Haydari.