The culture of a country is expressed through its traditional clothing—shaped by religion, lifestyle, and climate.
This unforgettable photograph, with its striking composition, remains a mystery in terms of the women’s attire.
It was taken in Yemen, in the intense heat of August.
McCurry saw this group of women gathering clover leaves for their animals, but what astonished him most was that they were completely covered—dressed in black, wearing large, tall straw hats.
The contrast with the sweltering temperature is extraordinary, though in the photograph the heat is invisible.
Yemen is a land of ancient traditions, where one often feels transported back to the Middle Ages.
McCurry conducted extensive research to uncover the origin of these peculiar hats, but he never found a definitive answer.