PESHAWAR: In Peshawar’s historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Haji Bashir Ahmad runs a shop barely four feet wide. The narrow space is lined from floor to ceiling with rows of Karakul caps in shades of almond tan, grey, brown and black.

At nearly 80, Haji Bashir has spent more than seven decades making traditional caps and is one of the last remaining masters of this trade.

"I started my apprenticeship around the age of ten at Peshawar Cap House, which used to be nearby", he says, recalling the craftsmen who taught him, most of whom have since died.

The craft

Karakul caps are made from the pelts of Balkhi fat-tailed sheep, a prized breed known for its distinctive fur pattern. Raw hides are cured in a mixture of spices for 10 to 15 days before being trimmed and stitched. The finished material is then moistened and stretched over wooden molds, known as kaalib, to give the cap its shape.

The quality and price of a cap depend largely on the natural curls, or phool, in the pelt. Ordinary caps cost a few thousand Pakistani rupees, while caps made from rare, tightly curled pelts can sell for Rs50,000 ($180 USD) to Rs80,000 ($288 USD)

"The almond tan colored caps are the most prized ones," he says as he holds up a cap with a rich, soft velvety feel.

The finest pelts are imported, Haji Bashir adds.

‘Jinnah Cap’

The Karakul is not merely winter attire; it is closely associated with Pakistan’s history.

The nation’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah was frequently photographed wearing a Karakul, giving it the local name "Jinnah Cap".

Over his lifetime, Haji Bashir has made caps for some of Pakistan’s most prominent historical figures. He recalls making them for Field Marshal Ayub Khan and being tasked by the military with measuring heads and delivering thousands of caps in Abbottabad.

"I placed a Karakul cap on [Zulfiqar Ali] Bhutto’s head with my own hands," he says, pointing to a nearby spot where he recalls the former prime minister later delivering a speech.

Prominent figures such as General Fazl-e-Haq, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, and regional chief ministers all wore caps crafted by his workshop.

The cap was once an important part of formal and wedding attire in the region. But demand has declined as clothing preferences have changed.

"Dozens of thriving cap shops once lined Qissa Khwani and Ghanta Ghar; almost all have shuttered", says Haji Bashir.

He believes the craft may not survive another generation. For now, however, he continues to make Karakul caps from his small shop in Qissa Khwani Bazaar.