The fez is a red, cylindrical, peakless felt hat with a black tassel, also called the tarboosh. Its origins are disputed, and its name may come from the Moroccan city of Fez, where the red dye was once extracted from crimson berries. It became a symbol of the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. In 1827 Sultan Mahmud II made it the uniform headdress for his new army, and in 1829 he required all civil and religious officials to wear it, aiming to replace the turban, which marked religious and regional identity. In 1925 it was outlawed in Turkey as part of Ataturk's reforms. It is still worn in parts of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Cape Town.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.