A long, loose garment that covers the entire body, worn by some Muslim women, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
From Arabic 'burqah' or Persian 'burka', possibly derived from the Persian word meaning 'tent' or from Arabic 'baraka' meaning protection. The garment has been worn for centuries in South and Central Asia.
The burka is often thought of as ancient Islamic tradition, but it actually became standardized in Afghanistan fairly recently—the fully face-covering version became widespread in the 1900s, showing how 'traditional' clothing can actually be modern.
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