FROM THE SKILLFUL HANDS OF RIZE’S WOMEN: FERETIKO

Feretiko is the name of a centuries-old tradition, the fruit of all the effort the skillful women of Rize ardently bestow on warp, weft, and loom. It is a fabric that has been the sail of the greatest vessels in history, one that has impressed even the su

The adventure of the woven fabric starts with the conjoining of the warps and the wefts, the amalgamation of the colors that drip from nature’s palette through ardent labor to the knots and loops, as patterns get woven into the fabric by dexterous hands. The archaeological excavations indicate that weaving has most probably come about in the Neolithic city of Çatalhöyük. The archaeological findings lay bare before the eyes that weaving was always a favored avocation in the rich culture of Anatolia throughout history. Findings such as looms and counterweights, needles and thread barrels, and the information engraved into the tablets are of great value for proving that beyond being merely a local pursuit, of what prominent caliber woven fabrics were as goods for exports. It is believed that the weaving tradition in Anatolia dates back to ancient times. Besides being a region abound in civilizations, being on the trade roads for centuries also played a role in that. Located within the bounds of Konya, Çatalhöyük is the oldest settlement in the world and also the place where the oldest woven fabric was found as of yet. The fact that this fabric unearthed during archaeological excavations in Çatalhöyük was made of hemp, proves that the plant has been used for weaving for thousands of years. It is not for certain whether its past dates back to those times, however one of the most important places where hemp was grown on the abundant lands of Anatolia was Rize. Rize, where the clouds hold continuous sway over the mountains, and rain falls every season, has for centuries been one of the leading centers where hemp is grown.

When we look at the history of

hemp, we come by the oldest vegetal raw material resource of humanity. The fibers in its stalk are used in the making of ropes, woven fabric and textiles and its pulp is used in paper production.

Centuries ago, Rize, which was, by nature, rainy and humid, became the focus of attention of mariner clans by virtue of its eligibility for growing high-quality hemp. With the Genoese settling in Rize as of the eighth century, weaving activity gathered pace. One of the city-states influential in maritime commerce from the Middle Ages onwards, Genoa started to procure the hawsers and sails of their ships from Rize. Rigged with sails and hawsers of feretiko which is resistant to water, heat, wind and all sorts of harsh weather conditions, the Genoese galleys played the leading role in a commercial network that stretches from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

The transformation of this woven fabric, favored by mariners, into everyday attire inevitably ensued. The quality of the hemp grown in Rize is quite different than that grown in other regions. The fibers elicited from the hemp grown in this region are a lot thinner. The pluvial climate and the mineral structure of the soil, makes this hemp endemic. Feretiko provides ease of use by absorbing sweat and donning a feel-good factor with its thin texture. And for that, it is predominantly used in the making of products

such as underwear, pajamas, and nightgowns. Thanks to the reach of the Silk Road, for hundreds of years it is sent to the far off corners of the world from Rize as a valuable export product.

Following the conquest of Trabzon, the woven fabrics of Rize started to make their way to the palace. As a healtful product, Feretiko had became a preferred commodity at the seraglio. So much so that according to what’s related, when Sultan Abdülaziz passed away he was wearing a feretiko shirt. Feretiko also comes to the fore in the work of the travelers and the leading intellectuals of the period. Names like Evliya Çelebi and Kâtip Çelebi had sang the praises of feretiko.

Made with weft of hemp and warp of cotton, this woven fabric was the main livelihood of the region for long years. Feretiko, the fabric of Rize, reflects the labor of Rize’s women in every phase.

Growing in well-irrigated fields, hemp is soaked so that its fibers soften. Then spun manually they are turned into threads. Later, woven by cotton it is made into feretiko. Despite being thinner than the fabrics produced from hemp in other regions, Feretiko is more durable. Considering that natural threads are used in the making of the fabric, during the first weaving the fabric smells like fodder. Hemp does not only lend the fabric a scent but also a color. With shades of beige, the crude fabric reflects the color of hemp. In the olden days, to bleach the raw hemp, women used to wet the fabric by the seaside to apply the “kasarlanma” (bleachery) method. If the fabric was meant to be dyed, referred to as “has boya” in the local dialect, madder extracted from vegetal substances such as saffron, quince root, and onion scales were used.

Before WWI, there was a loom in almost every house in Rize. Women in Rize learned weaving off their own accord within the family. Whilst the clatter that arose from the looms reverberated through the streets, feretiko remained as the locomotive product of the city’s economy for years and years. However, with the new technologies that came about as of the beginning of the 20th century and the fast advances of the textile sector, feretiko slowly fell into disfavor. With tea starting to become potent in Rize’s economic life as of the 60’s, feretiko began beating a drawn out retreat.

Just when it was thought to have faded into oblivion, in 2003 with a project that gained currency, it started to be produced with the original method in the hopes that it would be an alternative economic venture with its identity that emphasizes women’s labor. Woven today in two different sorts with hemp and silk, feretiko comes to life in the hands of the women of Rize who are ready to revive the elegance of an era. The essential piece of young women’s trousseaus, feretiko is decked with traditional patterns such as Turkish delight, cage, bride’s eyebrow, quince blossom, and bird’s eye. Feretiko fabrics that are turned into everyday items such as shawls, tablecloths, kerchiefs, and waistcloths continue to become a focus of attraction reflecting Rize’s authentic character. To see the dexterous hands at work in the feretiko workshops and to purchase items made of feretiko, is a reason in and of itself to visit Rize.