Wakefield Museums and Castles

This Jinnah cap belonged to Zanil Abidin Shah, the Imam of Wakefield Central Mosque. It was made in Pakistan.

Many South Asian people moved to Wakefield in the 1950s and 1960s. Britain had reached out to its former colonies to fill gaps in the jobs market. There were thousands of vacancies in the newly-created NHS, as well as in many industries. Many Pakistani people made Wakefield their home.

By the 1980s, the first purpose-built mosque opened in Wakefield. Until then, Muslims had met to worship in temporary school buildings or homes across the city.

This style of hat is often known as a Jinnah cap. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a founding father of Pakistan, wore one. He made it popular.

The cap is peaked and folds flat when not being worn. Traditionally, Jinnah caps are made from animal hair, often a newborn lamb of the Karakal breed of sheep in South Asia. This gives the cap its distinctive texture and tight curls.

The Jinnah was usually worn by Muslim men in South Asia. However, it doesn't have a specific religious significance.

Today the cap is falling out of fashion. Many local people recognised the hat as a 'traditional' or 'retro' style. They often commented that young people no longer wear them.