Portrait of High-Class Yomut Women From Krasnovodsk, Turkmenistan Wearing Kasaba, 1883

"In 1883, Yomut women from Krasnovodsk-today called Türkmenbaşy in Turkmenistan-were photographed wearing the Kasaba, a remarkable cylindrical headpiece. Tall and ornate, the Kasaba immediately stood out with its intricate craftsmanship, serving not only as adornment but as a marker of social standing, wealth, and marital status. Decorated with silver ornaments, carnelian, turquoise, and fine embroidery, each detail carried symbolic meaning, linking personal prosperity with the tribe's cultural heritage."

"More than decoration, the Kasaba expressed identity and pride, embodying traditions passed down through generations of Turkmen women. The Yomut are among the major Turkmen tribes, historically divided into western (Shagadam) and northern (Dashhowuz) groups. Many Yomuts live in Iran's Turkmen regions, with smaller communities in Afghanistan and Karakalpakstan. Though the name Yomut is ancient, the tribe itself seems to have taken shape as a formal entity only in the late Middle Ages, following the Mongol invasions."

In 1883, Yomut women in Krasnovodsk (now Türkmenbaşy) wore the Kasaba, a tall cylindrical headpiece richly decorated with silver, carnelian, turquoise, and fine embroidery. The Kasaba functioned as ornament and as a marker of social standing, wealth, and marital status, with each ornament carrying symbolic meaning tied to personal prosperity and tribal heritage. The Kasaba expressed identity and pride and embodied traditions passed down through generations. The Yomut constitute a major Turkmen tribe divided historically into western (Shagadam) and northern (Dashhowuz) groups, with communities in Iran, Afghanistan, and Karakalpakstan. The tribal identity solidified as a formal entity after the Mongol invasions, while earlier sources record Yomut as a lineage.

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