This type of cotton tunic decorated with wool patches are known as Jibbas and are associated with the Mahdi of Sudan. In 1881 Muhammad Ahmad, a Sufi leader proclaimed himself ‘prophesied redeemer of Islam’ or Mahdi. He led a holy war against the Ottoman-Egyptian ruling class of Sudan gaining control of Khartoum in 1885. He died shortly after but the Mahdist state survived until 1898.

Jibbas developed from a form of dress worn by the Mahdi’s early followers known as a muraqqa’a. Muraqqa’a were ragged patched garments worn by followers of Sufi religious orders to denote their rejection of worldly goods. However, as the Mahdi state became more established it was transformed into this more formal tunic with patches that are clearly decorative rather than functional. There were several different styles of jibba which are believed to reflect the regional affiliation of the wearer.