The chechia (Arabic: شاشية [ʃɛːʃiæ] ) is a traditional headgear worn in the Maghreb. Close relative to the European beret, the chechia is originally a cap-shaped bonnet, colored vermillon red. Until the 19th century, the chechia was often worn surrounded by a turban.
The chechia, which is flexible, should not be confused with the fez (known in the Maghreb as chéchia stambouli) which is rigid, conical and high in shape. The word chechia also designates the long soft cap, adopted by certain French colonial military forces, such as: the zouaves, the tirailleurs and the spahis.