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Montenegrin cap

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Montenegrin cap
Montenegrin cap with initials Н. I
These richly adorned caps were worn by king Nikola I of Montenegro (right) and his queen Milena

Montenegrin cap is cap traditionally worn by Montenegrins.

The cap is shaped as a flat cylinder, having red upper surface (called tepelak) surrounded by black rim (called derevija). One part of the tepelak is surrounded with five golden threads, center of the surrounded surface being adorned, oftenly with Serbian cross though there are other variations: bearer's initials, initials of bearer's nahija, ruler's initials, today oftenly Н. I, initials of the last Montenegrin king Nikola I, coat of arms of Montenegro or even of SFRY. Later two can fill entire tepelak, which in that case has no threads.

Montenegrin hat is somewhat similar to Lika cap; also, similarity is noted to the hat which was traditionally worn in Risan. It's final stylisation, which survives until today, was done by famous Montenegrin ruler and poet Petar II Petrovic Njegos who also ascribed symbolism to it: red color of the tepelak symbolises blood of people who have fell for freedom, black sorrow for the lost freedom, and five golden threads—five centuries spent under Ottoman Turkey.

Through history, it was called in different names: valjana, bijela, kariklija, zavratka... Today it is called simply "montenegrin cap" (crnogorska kapa).

See also