Åžile Bezi Rural Women's Cooperative
Åžile Bezi

Åžile Bezi Rural Women's Cooperative
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Ministry of Industry and Technology of the Republic of Turkey
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SOGEP (Social Development Support Program)
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Istanbul Development Agency
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Municipality of Åžile
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Fırat Neziroğlu
Fırat Neziroğlu: From Tradition to the Future with the Anatolian Textile Network
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As the brand ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand, I brought together Anatolian and Thai cultures.
Our grandmothers knew and understood nature, moving in harmony with it. The salt content of Åžile's sea and the fineness of the sands on the shore guided our ancestors. To weave their fine fabrics, they would boil seawater in large cauldrons on the shores of Åžile. Into the boiling seawater, they would pour a bowl of flour, creating a kind of soup. They would then dip the yarns into this mixture, coating them with flour, strengthening the yarns. These yarns were then stretched onto the looms, and fine fabrics were woven. After weaving, the fabrics were washed in the sea and dried on the fine sands of Åžile’s beaches. The fine sands became embedded in the Åžile cloth, but these fabrics, strengthened with flour and washed in the sea, became what is known as Åžile Bezi.
You know how deeply connected I am to culture, tradition, and Anatolia. I also feel connected to you all, and this brings me great joy.
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We have established 100 looms in Åžile and trained 200 Åžile women in weaving.
The women of Åžile wove and sewed.
I continue to support women's employment in Åžile.
We wove the finest fabrics, just like our grandmothers.
I designed with deep respect for Anatolia.
This project was made possible thanks to the great interest and support of the Istanbul Development Agency. Unfortunately, due to the cooperative presidents distancing themselves from the weaving villages and prioritizing their own interests, the expected impact of the project’s continuity was not achieved.
I continue to do my best to support my weaving students in the villages on my own.

At the Project Final Ceremony, we presented certificates to our weavers together with Åžile Mayor Ä°lhan Ocaklı and Istanbul Development Agency Director Erkan Tüzgen.
The Ritual of Washing Åžile Cloths from the Loom in the Åžile Sea






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