The melhfa , women’s clothing in southern Morocco.
The woman’s clothing in the south of Morocco, par excellence is the Melhfa. A representative symbol of the identity of the woman of the Moroccan desert.
The Melhfa is a piece of cloth about 6 or even 10 meters long by 2 meters wide. The most common fabric is usually cotton, which can be colorful with various prints or a single color like black. You will see that, if you do routes in Morocco, in the very rural areas. Because as in the small town of Jorf, near the city of Erfoud, women wear the Melhfa of black color. I always say: I do not know if they come, or go. Because they are so covered, and leave only a little space for the eyes. You can’t tell if they are walking backward or forwards towards you.
But yes, behind the Melhfa, you discover inquisitive looks that pierce you like bolts of fire. Between envy, ignorance and lack of freedom.
Why they wear it?
The Melhfa is worn by the women of the Moroccan desert from the age of adolescence. They hide their body and their hair under the piece of cloth that wraps their whole body and covers their head. And what clothes do they wear underneath? Well, from what I have been able to see as a woman myself, and being able to access the daily life of women in the desert area of Merzouga.
What they wear under the Melhfa, is comfortable clothes, usually knitted pants with a sweater and shirt. Even many of the women wear pajamas under the Melhfa. And why do I say pajamas in plural? Well, because they usually wear more than one pair of pants and more than one T-shirt or sweater. Also, most of these women do not wear bras, what I do not know, is if they wear panties, it is true that when I have seen freshly washed clothes and lying in the sun, I have not seen panties, so … the doubt is present, hahaha.
Melhfa in Islam
The Melhfa is the garment that Islam requires and wants, to hide the body from all eyes and is the essential garment for Bedouin society.
In the south of Morocco, know that women, when they go to sleep at night to the “bed” I write in quotes bed. Because many of the houses, do not have beds. They sleep on the floor, something that in our eyes is essential to get good sleep. However, for them is not an important element, and if you spend a night with a family in southern Morocco. You will discover that they do not change clothes but sleep in the same clothes with which they wake up.
Most of the Melhfa fabrics that come to Morocco come from Mauritania, Niger, Mali, and Senegal.
The truth is that the most beautiful mechas I have seen are from Western Sahara. In the area of Laayoune, with very beautiful blue colors.
There are also some Melhfas, which, instead of clothes, look like sheets, they are usually white with a border with large flowers and are horrendous.
I, after having done many Morocco desert Tours and having lived different situations with women, I can assure you that the Spanish saying is true: The habit does not make the monk!
And it is that appearances are deceiving, sometimes to go covered with a Melfa, is simply hiding under a garment to try to appear something that one is not, but as everywhere, we reveal lies camouflaged by outfits that do not correspond to people.
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