One Cap, Many Stories: Know The Different Names of the Afghani Pakol Cap
The Pakol cap is known by several names depending on the region, the specific tribe, and the style of the cap itself.
Here is a list of the various names used for this iconic Pakol cap:
- Chitrali Cap
- Chitrali Topi
- Chitrali Patti Cap
- Afghani Cap/ afgani topi
- Pashtuni cap
- Pathani cap
- Peshwari cap
- Pakola hat
- Kabul cap
- Hunza cap
- Afghani Pakol
- Gilgiti Cap
- Waziristan Pakol
- Twisted (Zig-Zag) Pakol
- Balochi cap
While the Pakol is now associated with various regions, many historians and locals point to Chitral in Northern Pakistan as its ancestral home. In the local Khowar language, it is often referred to simply as the Chitrali Patti (referring to the woolen cloth) or the Chitrali Cap. If you are looking for the finest, most authentic hand-spun wool versions, this is the name you’ll likely use.
Another common (though generalized) term used in international markets is the Afghan cap, as the cap became a global symbol of Afghan resistance in the 1980s.
Whether you call it a Pakol, a Chitrali cap, or an Afghan hat, you are wearing a piece of history that has survived centuries of mountain winters and changing borders..
