Reviving the Sof Fabric Tradition with the Support of the European Union
Although forgotten, this fabric was once so renowned that it was indispensable to both Ottoman sultans and European merchants.
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
Sof fabric has a silky appearance
Evliya Çelebi, in his book ‘Travelogue,’ describes this fabric, which keeps wearers cool in summer and warm in winter, as “a silky fabric like snow made from the wool of the white Ankara goat.”
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
After 3 years of research and development, this specific weaving method has been rediscovered
According to Gürkan Hazar, director of the Kızılcahamam Public Education Centre, when the farming of Ankara goats was restricted because they were damaging the forest, the production of Sof fabric also ceased over time. However, in the 2010s, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry introduced incentives for raising Ankara goats, their numbers in the region once again increased. The Directorate of the Kızılcahamam Public Education Centre took steps to resume the production of Sof. As there was no information in the archives on how this fabric was made, the weaving method was rediscovered during a three-years-long research and development study.
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
The project has transformed housewives into master weavers
“In 2018, we established a weaving workshop with the support of the Ankara Development Agency. In this workshop, weaving instructors from other provinces trained our instructor candidates. In just five years, we have trained over 80 weavers. Of these, 28 have become master trainers, and 20 have secured employment,” says Gürkan Hazar.
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
With IPARD support, weaving looms were purchased
The Local Action Group (LAG) Association and the Directorate of Public Education Centre signed a protocol and purchased weaving looms for the workshop with IPARD support. Yılmaz Özbek, President of Kızılcahamam LAG, says: “EU support is very important for the capacity building of this workshop. The workshop not only promotes and keeps this fabric alive but also enables housewives to support their household economies by producing this fabric.” The fabric produced in this workshop and the garments made from it are sold in the Public Education Centre shop next to the workshop.
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
Trainee Ayşe Kalaycı
“I started the course because I was interested in Sof fabric. I love weaving this fabric. I want to sell what I produce and contribute to my household’s economy,” states trainee Ayşe Kalaycı.
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
Trainee Hülya Kömürlü
Another trainee, Hülya Kömürlü, reflects: “I have attended many courses over the years, but I have enjoyed weaving the most. I want to become a master teacher.”
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
Trainee Songül Çoktutal
Songül Çoktutal, who relocated from Malatya to Kızılcahamam after the February 2023 earthquakes, says: “I enrolled in this course to make productive use of my time. I am very satisfied. I aspire to become a master trainer.”
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
Master trainer Kadriye Doğanaylı
Master trainer Kadriye Doğanaylı explains that some fabrics are unique because the patterns are created by boiling each piece individually with walnut leaves.
Frank Bollen, Head of Unit at the European Commission who visited the Sof fabric workshop in June 2024, says: “We saw how the project helped to bring people together to revive and promote a sense of local community and local action groups. In this sense, also seeing how the project has made a difference was very interesting. The people involved in the project seemed very happy.”
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, Ambassador Thomas Ossowski
The Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, Ambassador Thomas Hans Ossowski, points out the importance of the IPARD programme for Türkiye: “IPARD provides numerous opportunities for farmers and rural communities. With the recent expansion of IPARD III to include all 81 provinces in Türkiye, the programme will enable more regions to benefit from development, growth, and increased competitiveness. We are very excited to see that IPARD supports farmers and rural areas all over the country.”
Krzysztof Sulima, IPARD Desk Officer, states: “We are pleased to see that many applications have been submitted even during the IPARD III first call.”
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
The Kızılcahamam LAG is supported by IPARD
What is LAG?
Local Action Groups (LAGs) are public-private partnership structures established under the Linkages between Activities for the Development of the Rural Economy (LEADER) Approach under the IPARD Programme to ensure the participation of local communities in the rural development process in their regions and to provide the basis for sustainable rural development.
EUROPEAN UNION, 2025
IPARD covers all of Türkiye
What is IPARD?
Part of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), IPARD is a unique EU financial assistance programme for furthering rural development. It is a flagship area of cooperation between the EU and Türkiye, financially assisting farmers, rural communities, and the agri-food sector in enhancing competitiveness, promoting sustainability, and improving the living conditions of rural areas. IPARD also provides support for new investments and technology plus ensures that European standards are implemented in Turkish agriculture, food processing, and rural businesses.
