Zunnar (also spelled "zunar" or "zonar"; Arabic: زنار zunār) was a distinctive belt or girdle, part of the clothing that Dhimmi (e.g. Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians) were required to wear within the Islamic caliphate regions to distinguish them from Muslims.
[1] The zunnar was usually wider than a regular belt (as to make it distinguishable)[4] and was often worn with patches of varying colours.
[1] It seems likely that the belt was only one part of the intention to oblige non-Muslims to keep their usual costumes as to prevent them from being confused with Muslims.
[5] In case of omission of belt, the punishment could be whipping, imprisonment or public humiliation.
[6] Although the wearing of the zunnar was not always enforced, it could always be implemented at the discretion of any Muslim ruler as was done for instance under the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil, who ordered both Christians and Jews to wear the zunnar with a taylasān (a shawl-like head covering),[5] or Fatimid caliph al-Hakim.