A Sumatran style of tengkolok worn by royal princes from Deli, Langkat and Serdang Kingdom of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
**Tengkolok** (Jawi: ‏تڠكولوق‎‎) also called **Tanjak** or **Destar**, is a hat that Malay men wear. People make it from songket cloth. The cloth is folded in a way called "Solek." High-ranking people and leaders wore it in Palembang. In modern times, people wear it during special ceremonies, for example royal events and weddings.

The National Library of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur was built to look like a tengkolok. Building makers Ikmal Hashim Albakri and Victor Chew made the library in 1994. They wanted the building to show people Malaysia's strong thinkers and culture.

Name
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According to the Dewan Dictionary, the words *tengkolok*, *destar*, and *setanjak*, and *tanjak* mean the same thing. *Tengkolok* can also mean a veil or other cloth covering for a woman's head. However, people do not usually say this word this way now, except in some places like Jambi. Other languages do not use the word this way either. The root word for "tengkolok" is "kuluk."

People say the words *tengkolok*, *destar*, and *tanjak* talk about different kinds of cloth and different ways to tie the cloth. "Tengkolok" hats are made of high-quality cloth, with many layers, and the hat is thinner on the top than on the bottom. "Destar" hats are thin and smaller than the head. "Tanjak" is like a hood, but the cloth is simpler and thinner.

History
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"Dendam Tak Sudah" tengkolok wore by Yang di-Pertuan Agong during coronation ceremony.
The Supreme Leader of Malaysia, called the *Yang di-Pertuan Agong*, wears a special Tengkolok as part of their clothing. This Tengkolok is called the "Tengkolok Raja." It is made of black silk with gold thread. It has a crescent moon and an eleven-pointed star made of white gold with diamonds, showing the National Coat of Arms.

In a Malaysian folk tale about Muzaffar Shah, the son of the last Sultan of Melaka, it's said that when the Portuguese took over the Sultanate of Melaka in 1511, Muzaffar Shah was asked to rule Perak. On his journey to Perak, his ship started sinking. To lighten the ship, Muzaffar Shah threw out everything, but it didn't work until he threw the crown into the sea. Taking it as a sign, he vowed to never wear a crown again. Since then, legend says, sultans wear Tengkolok instead of crowns.

Solek
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A collection of headdresses worn by almost all Malaysian Malay Kings ; Johor is different with the custom of crowning the sultan of Johor as a result of modern influence from the British.
Tengkolok comes in many styles, made from different kinds of cloth, based on a person's social status. The general term for these different styles is called "solek". Each style also has its own special name. For example, the tengkolok worn by the *Yang di-Pertuan Agong* during "becoming the king" ceremony is called "Solek Dendam Tak Sudah" (Persistent Vengeance Style).

Each Malay king has their own unique style of tengkolok. For example, the Sultan of Selangor wears a beautiful golden yellow tengkolok called "Solek Balung Raja" (Royal Crest Style) during big events like becoming king or celebrating their birthday.