Members of Iraq's parliament vote in 2002. Luxurious mustaches became ubiquitous during Saddam Hussein's rule, but have been seen as a symbol of high social status since Ottoman times.
What mustaches mean in Middle East —
Members of Iraq's parliament vote in 2002. Luxurious mustaches became ubiquitous during Saddam Hussein's rule, but have been seen as a symbol of high social status since Ottoman times.
Ahmed Al Rubayyh/Getty Images
Ibrahim Tatlises, a popular Turkish singer and actor of Kurdish and Arab descent, has the type of moustache sought by Middle Eastern men seeking transplants. Men from the region are fuelling a boom in mustache transplants as they seek a more virile appearance through their facial hair.
What mustaches mean in Middle East —
Ibrahim Tatlises, a popular Turkish singer and actor of Kurdish and Arab descent, has the type of moustache sought by Middle Eastern men seeking transplants. Men from the region are fuelling a boom in mustache transplants as they seek a more virile appearance through their facial hair.
SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In Turkey, mustaches can carry political nuance, with different styles implying a nationalist, religious conservative or left-wing inclination.
What mustaches mean in Middle East —
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In Turkey, mustaches can carry political nuance, with different styles implying a nationalist, religious conservative or left-wing inclination.
ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images
Like many prominent Arab leaders, former Egyptian President Gamal Nasser had a handsome mustache. One commentator says that in Middle Eastern culture mustaches suggest wisdom in the wearer.
What mustaches mean in Middle East —
Like many prominent Arab leaders, former Egyptian President Gamal Nasser had a handsome mustache. One commentator says that in Middle Eastern culture mustaches suggest wisdom in the wearer.
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Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his son Qusay in 1997. All of Iraq's presidents before and since have also had mustaches, as did Nasser and Sadat of Egypt (and the kings and sultans before them), Turkey's Erdogan (and two preceding prime ministers), and Syria's Assad (and his father).
What mustaches mean in Middle East —
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his son Qusay in 1997. All of Iraq's presidents before and since have also had mustaches, as did Nasser and Sadat of Egypt (and the kings and sultans before them), Turkey's Erdogan (and two preceding prime ministers), and Syria's Assad (and his father).
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Like many members of Saddam Hussein's inner circle and the Iraqi army, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the former Deputy Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council, had an impressive mustache. He raised eyebrows in 2003 when, at a diplomatic summit in the lead up to the Second Gulf War, he yelled at a Kuwaiti representative: "Curse be upon your moustache, you traitor."
What mustaches mean in Middle East —
Like many members of Saddam Hussein's inner circle and the Iraqi army, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the former Deputy Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council, had an impressive mustache. He raised eyebrows in 2003 when, at a diplomatic summit in the lead up to the Second Gulf War, he yelled at a Kuwaiti representative: "Curse be upon your moustache, you traitor."
RAMZI HAIDAR/AFP/Getty Images