The chechia (Tunisian Arabic: شاشية ) is a traditional headgear worn in Tunisia and Libya. It is considered in Tunisia to be the national headwear. Close relative to the European beret, the chechia is originally a cap-shaped bonnet, colored vermillon red in Tunisia as well as in the Libyan regions of Tripolitania and Benghazi (where it is called chenna), whereas in the rest of Libya, it is colored black. Until the 19th century, the chechia was often worn surrounded by a turban. The chechia, which is flexible, should not be confused with the fez (also called in Tunisia chéchia stambouli or chéchia megidi) which is rigid, conical and high in shape. The word chechia also designates the long soft cap, adopted by certain French colonial military forces, such as: the zouaves, the tirailleurs and the spahis. Etymology The word chechia designates in the Maghreb the cap that is placed on the head and around which a piece of cloth has been rolled for a long time to form the turban. Tradition dates the first manufacture of this headgear in the Tunisian city of Kairouan, in the ninth century. According to the maghrebi traveller and explorer Ibn Battûta during his stay in Chiraz in 1327, the word chechia itself takes its name however from the adjective derived from Shash, name of the current Tachkent in Uzbekistan: History Origins It is believed that the chechia originated in Uzbekistan. Unlike the fez, the chechia is shorter and crafted from less stiff material, and is, therefore, softer and more pliable. By the 17th century that the chaouachis, or chechia makers, had spread to the capital Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. By the 21st century, the procedure for making them remains the same, but the number of craftsmen who make them has decreased. While the market place in the Souk Ech-Chaouachine, hosted about 30,000 chaouachis during at its peak, that number had dropped by the 2010s to about 20, who struggle to keep the business alive. The modern chechia business is estimated to create jobs for over 2,000 artisans, with the remaining chechias are sold overseas, primarily to Libya, Nigeria, and Niger. Chechia colours vary by country. It is red in Tunisia, and sometimes lacks a tassel. In Libya, the chechia is normally black, except the Benghazi version, or "chenna," which is also red and includes a tassel. In Morocco, and some parts of Tunisia,