I am curious, I have read a few posts where people were asked to wear plastic green "coats" in some mosques. Is this because they were not appropriately dressed to start with - for example, shorts or short sleeves?

Any insight would be appreciated.

In general, yes. Also, you may be asked to wear one if you do not have a head covering.

In my case, it was lack of a head covering -- everything else was covered (long sleeves, pants).

Actually, when I was last in Cairo (with my son's school trip), we were all asked to wear a green robe. Even the girls who were dressed appropriately AND had head scarves.

How things change.... why you have to be prepared.

When we visited, we noticed that those who foolishly arrived in shorts and (women) in abbreviated/sleeveless tops, were given those green robes to put on. While we were okay in our attire and had scarves, none of the women were required to use them. We found the latter strange as when in Turkey the year before, we always had to cover our heads.

As above comments, just be prepared to follow the rules.

Do recall, while we were able to take photos, we couldn't use the flash. Another thing to take note of.

So, even if one is dressed as a Muslim lady in hijab, one must still wear the green cloak? I had thought that the green cloaks were for those who were not so attired. But that is no longer correct?

I would imagine if you were in a hijab, you would be fine. I think it depends on the mosque. We went into some that only wanted the girls to have headscarves. But there was one that made everyone put on a green cloak.

Hmm, does it come in plus size! lol

It is plus size or NO size... just ugly bright green that even fit around substantially tall and round men!

Thanks, Grcxx3. I was just curious. By "full hijab" I just meant the types of outfits that I see young women wearing in the photos, like this
http://berkeley.edu/news/students/20...metrowomen.jpg

or this
http://www.thedigitalstory.com/blog/...wis_gs_mar.jpg

Do women there enter the mosques dressed in their usual clothes like that, or do they first throw an abaya on top of it all? (Or, as you say, does it depend on the mosque?)

(Note: Apparently, embedding HTML does not work on the Fodor's forums? I tried, but the Preview showed my efforts had failed. So I just pasted in the links by themselves. I'll search the help and FAQs for more info on that.)

100% it depends on the mosque you go to. All 3 mosques inside the Citadel have the green cloaks for those that choose to dress inapropriately, but I've never been asked to wear one myself or cover my head if I'm dressed in long pants, and have all the basic bits covered that need to be covered. When we visit the Qait Bey Mosque in the City of the Dead as well, there is no request to cover our heads.
The AlAhzar Mosque is more conservative and asks that heads be covered... as do a few others. Some that I can think of that will not be bothered by an uncovered head are
Mohamed Ali Mosque
Pasha Suliman
Mohamed Ibn Qualun
Ibn Taloon
El Raffi
Sultan Hassen

There are more down in Islamic Cairo that don't mind, but most that do mind will have something available for you to wear (ie the green cloak) to cover up with if you really want to enter anyway.

<<for those that choose to dress inapropriately>>


I'm trying to think of the one we went to where we had to wear the green thing.......might have been Al Ahzar.

Many thanks for the responses. I suspected that it might be to inappropriate dress or head covering and it seems that is generally the case.