Litham (, sometimes pronounced lifam) is a mouth-veil which the Tuareg and other North African nomads, particularly men, have traditionally used to cover the lower part of their face. Role and significance The litham has served as protection from the dust and extremes of temperature characterizing the desert environment. In cases of blood feuds, it also served as protection against violence by making the wearer difficult to recognize. Wearing of the litham is not viewed as a religious requirement, although it was apparently believed to provide magical protection against evil forces. History and practice Ancient African rock engravings depicting human faces with eyes but no mouth or nose suggest that the origins of litham are not only pre-Islamic but even pre-historic. The litham was commonly worn among the Berber Sanhaja tribes in north-west Africa. Its use by the Almoravids, who originated from a Sanhaja clan, gave it a political significance during their conquests in the 11th and 12th centuries. This practice gave rise to Almoravids being pejoratively nicknamed al-mulaththamun (the muffled ones). The Almohads, who succeeded the Almoravids as the dominant dynasty in the North African region, opposed the practice of wearing the litham, claiming that it is forbidden for men to imitate women's dress, but they never managed to suppress its use. Among the Tuareg, men wear the litham, also called tagelmust, while women go unveiled. Tuareg boys start wearing the litham at the onset of puberty and the veil is regarded as a mark of manhood. It is considered improper for a man to appear unveiled in front of elders, especially those from his wife's family. The Tuareg litham is made of several pieces of Sudanese cloth which are sewn together to yield a strip about four yards long. Tagelmust or Afrwal or litham The tagelmust (also known as cheich, cheche and litham) is an indigo-dyed cotton litham, with the appearance of both a veil and a turban. The cloth may exceed in length. It is mostly worn by Tuareg Berber men, the Hausa of the far northern Sahel region and the Songhai. In recent times, other colors have come into use, with the indigo veils saved for use on special occasions. It usually has many layers that cover the head, and it drapes down to loosely cover the neck. It is worn by some French people as a scarf. The tagelmust covers the head. It prevents the