Local Weavings of Anatolia at the ‘Turkish Weaving Atlas’ Exhibition
The Turkey Weaving Atlas Project, which is carried out under the auspices of First Lady Emine Erdoğan, aims to bring traditional weavings to life again in addition to introducing them to the international arena and bring them to trade.
The “Turkish Weaving Atlas Project”, which was prepared as a product of the renewal efforts of the Advanced Technical Schools for Girls, is carried out by the Istanbul Sabancı Beylerbeyi Advanced Technical Institute for Girls, which is affiliated with the Ministry of National Education’s General Directorate of Lifelong Learning. The Turkish Exporters Assembly and the Ministry of Commerce also contribute to the project, which is carried out with the support of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association and the contributions of Marmara University. The consultancy of the exhibition, which was organized as the first event of the project, was performed by Prof. Dr. Hülya Tezcan, Prof. Dr. Aydın Uğurlu, and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Akalın, with coordinator Ayşe Dizman and curator Güneş Güner. The exhibition features over 150 types of weaving, brought together from various regions of Turkey by following regional routes. There are also pieces of Ottoman fabrics belonging to the collection of the collector Yusuf Iyilik. The exhibition, which will be open until September 22, can be visited 6 days a week for 3 months.
First Lady Emine Erdoğan emphasized that bringing traditional arts together with modern designs, remaining true to its essence, is the vision of the Turkey Weaving Atlas Project, and continued her statements as follows, ‘‘This project is the herald that our weaving art will continue on its way without losing its place in our memories. Weaving does not only consist of yarns and patterns. It is our centuries-old experiences that are intertwined with life and have set their seal on every part of life. All these values have a route drawn on our geography. There are many stops where we meet with good taste, such as the cotton rope of the Mediterranean, the wool of Eastern Anatolia, the silk of Bursa, the linen of the Black Sea, and the Buldan cloth of Denizli. I believe that all these wonders will come to light again on the occasion of this project.’’
Expressing his exhilaration at the opening ceremony of the Turkey Weaving Atlas Exhibition, Turkish Exporters Assembly President İsmail Gülle expressed, ‘‘Weaving culture, one of the most precious cultural treasures of the Anatolian geography, reveals the design and production power of our deep-rooted Turkish textile history. Turkey Weaving Atlas Project is a milestone in terms of unearthing, protecting, and transferring this historical heritage to future generations. The project will not only bring together countless weaving and embroidery techniques but also assume an important responsibility for the promotion of Turkey on an international level. I sincerely believe that we can take the Turkish economy much further, which has risen with exports, by protecting all our values together.’’
The power of Turkish textile is based on cultural heritage
Underlining that Turkey’s being among the top 5 textile exporters in the world is based on its cultural heritage, Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (İTHİB) President Ahmet Öksüz continued as follows: ‘‘Our sector, which is the engine of value-added exports, employment, and sustainable development goals with its 26-billion-US-Dollar annual exports, production value of 341 billion liras, foreign trade surplus of 16 billion US Dollars, and more than 1 million jobs, has jumped one place in the global league in 2020 to become the 5th largest exporter country in the world despite the troublesome global pandemic outbreak. Our textile industry undoubtedly derives its success from the strength it feeds on our historical heritage. Nearly 500 weaving types specific to our geography and more than 150 fabric types present in our exhibition area, which were determined within the scope of our project that we opened today, reveal that Anatolian lands are also the homeland of our textile industry.’’