Foreign travelers visiting the Golden Horde were astonished: from a distance, steppe horsewomen looked like fierce warriors in helmets with spears above their heads. In fact, these were noble women in their traditional tall headdresses, which drew attention with bright silk, feathers, and jewels. The Qalam project reveals how this medieval steppe fashion was constructed, as reported by infohub.kz.
The tall headdresses of Golden Horde women were not just a beautiful accessory. They indicated a woman's age, marital status, and social standing. This was explained by archaeologist, historian, and restorer Tetiana Krupa.
In the Golden Horde, noble women actively participated in state affairs, diplomacy, and governance. The everyday clothing of girls differed little from men's, but after marriage everything changed. Only married women wore the tall headdress. Expensive Chinese silks, gold, pearls, turquoise, and rare feathers showcased the family's wealth and influence. At lavish receptions, rulers' wives lined up strictly by rank. Some noblewomen's headdresses were so ornate and heavy that maids had to support them from behind.
The headdresses had a special frame that helped maintain their shape and added height. The construction was light enough for a woman to move and ride a horse. In Kazakhstan, archaeologists have found unique artifacts from that era. In the Mukyr tract in Pavlodar Region, a headdress made of birch bark, leather, red brocade, and gold threads was discovered. The craftsman designed it to absorb shock during movement, allowing the wearer to ride and migrate without fear of breaking the frame.
Finds from the Bolgan Ana mausoleum in Ulytau show strong influence of Chinese court fashion, while in Saraishyk archaeologists uncovered an elegant hair net of gold threads made in the Byzantine style. Thus, women's fashion in the Jochi Ulus combined local traditions with influences from various parts of Eurasia.
Medieval headdresses did not disappear without a trace. Their main successor is the Kazakh wedding saukele. Saukele was adorned with expensive fabrics, metal, stones, pearls, and feathers. However, it cannot be considered an exact copy of medieval headdresses. Over centuries, the shape and construction changed significantly. Yet the general principle remained: a woman's important status was shown through a tall, richly decorated headdress.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that the notion of Kipchak dominance in the Golden Horde does not correspond to historical reality. This popular myth was debunked by Kazakh historian Zhaksylyk Sabitov.