Mavi Boncuk | The fez, first emerged, as it has been claimed, in Morocco, in North Africa, was also used by the Ottomans in the XVII century. It was during the reign of Mahmut II. that the fez became popular and was used as an army cap imposed by a regulation in this epoch. The fez had taken attention of Mahmut II while Husrev Pasha was training the soldiers under his command in French style and made them dress the fez, which had been brought from Tunisia. Sultan II. Mahmut, then, approved and preferred the fez as soldiers' cap since şeşpara and şubara were rapidly worn away, but, refraining from the people's and soldiers' reaction, he had gathered an assembly at Bab-ı Fetva and made people in the assembly discuss if the fez was lawful in terms of yasa and sharia to be worn by Ottoman soldiers. As he got approbation and set up as a rule which imposed soldiers of the Asakir-i Mansure troops to wear it, 50.000 pieces of fez, which would be brought from Tunisia, were ordered. High costs of the importation triggered the decision of founding the wineries of fez within the boundaries of the State. As a consequence some attempts to establish wineries of fez started in İstanbul, Edirne, Selanik and Bursa. To produce high quality fez like those produced in Tunisia, learned craftsmen were employed, but despite of such efforts, the quality of domestic production did not reach the quality of those produced in Tunisia. For the same reason, initially, a kind of fleece, called Spanish fleece as well, obtained from Merino sheep had been imported, but then, Merino sheep began to be grown in Edirne region. To meet the needs of soldiers and the people, an industrial facility, which would be very important for the time period, was established in Edirne. Craftsmen were brought to the city for manufacturing and the production of fez reached a significant level. The fez manufacturing also promoted new branches of industry in the city.
Source: Article | The Fez Manufacturing for Asakir-i Mansure in Edirne (Full article in Turkish)
Ahmet YIĞIT Doç. Dr.
Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Bölümü Öğretim Üyesi
Kafkas Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Kafkas University Journal of the Institute of Social Sciences Sayı Number 14, Sonbahar Autumn 2014, 129-150 DOI:10.9775/kausbed.2014.018
Label found inside a fez made in Czechoslovakia.
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The fez, also spelled fes, is a particular style of hat that originated from the city of Fez in Morocco. The fez is also known as the tarboosh (Persian sar-boosh for "head cover") and checheya. The fez is a conical hat popularized in Turkey in the 19th century. Its use has subsequently become less widespread. The Fez gets it distinctive red hue from a dye collected from the bright red berries of the Turkish kizziljiek (C.mascula), or redwood berries - a cousin to the common American Boxwood (Cornus florida).
Fez formerly had a monopoly on the manufacture of the hat because it controlled the source of the kermes beetle used to color them. However the discovery of synthetic aniline dyes in the 19th century allowed the manufacture to spread to France, Germany and Austria. At the beginning of the 20th century Austria (factory in Strakonice) was the main center of the fez industry.
A view of Strakonice in the 19th century
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The history of textile manufacturing in Strakonice is one of more than 500 years; however, the year 1812, when the production of world famous knitted fezzes was launched, marks the true beginning of textile manufacturing.
The beginning of fez production in Strakonice is not quite clear. The story goes that Linz businessman Braun who was doing brisk trade with the Orient, visited the town in 1805. He stayed in the ale-house “U Bílé růže” and was looking for somebody who could make a fez. The innkeeper brought in expert knitter Jan Petráš, Braun explained the process of fez production to him. The result was said to be better than expected, that is why the businessman decided to conclude a long term contract with the knitter. Petráš did really well and very soon he had so many orders that he was unable to meet them himself. Of course, other knitters noticed his success and production of fezzes expanded rapidly.
The first fez was made here in 1807; in 1812 the Fürth brothers established a company manufacturing caps and fezzes. Their products enjoyed great success and the sales steadily increased. In 1873, Wolf Fürth’s company recorded an annual output of 1.2 million fezzes. In the year 1899, the factories in Austria-Hungary merged into one corporation based in Vienna, Austria. After the foundation of Czechoslovakia, the headquarters were moved to Strakonice where the production of fezzes has continued until the present day. The countries where the fezzes were extensively worn did not have a single fez manufacturing plant.
During the reign of the Sultan Mahmud Khan II (1808-39), European code of dress gradually replaced the traditional robes worn by members of the Ottoman court. The change in costume was soon emulated by the public and senior civil servants, followed by the members of the ruling intelligentsia and the emancipated classes throughout the Turkish Empire. As European dress gradually gained appeal, top hats and bowlers with their great brims, and the French beret, never stood a chance. They did not conform with the customs and religions of the east. In their stead the Sultan issued a firman (royal decree) that the checheya headgear in its modified form would become part of the formal attire irrespective of his subjects' religious sects or milets.
Mustafa Kemal regarded the fez - which Sultan Mahmud II had originally introduced to the Ottoman Empire's dress code in 1826 - as a symbol of feudalism and banned it, encouraging Turkish men to wear European attire - thus, hats such as the fedora became popular.
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Early 20th Century Textile Company Labels made in Czechoslovakia with images of Turkey. Gummed back label. Measurements: 9 1/2 x 4 1/2"
Source: Article | The Fez Manufacturing for Asakir-i Mansure in Edirne (Full article in Turkish)
Ahmet YIĞIT Doç. Dr.
Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Bölümü Öğretim Üyesi
Kafkas Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Kafkas University Journal of the Institute of Social Sciences Sayı Number 14, Sonbahar Autumn 2014, 129-150 DOI:10.9775/kausbed.2014.018
Label found inside a fez made in Czechoslovakia.
The fez, also spelled fes, is a particular style of hat that originated from the city of Fez in Morocco. The fez is also known as the tarboosh (Persian sar-boosh for "head cover") and checheya. The fez is a conical hat popularized in Turkey in the 19th century. Its use has subsequently become less widespread. The Fez gets it distinctive red hue from a dye collected from the bright red berries of the Turkish kizziljiek (C.mascula), or redwood berries - a cousin to the common American Boxwood (Cornus florida).Fez formerly had a monopoly on the manufacture of the hat because it controlled the source of the kermes beetle used to color them. However the discovery of synthetic aniline dyes in the 19th century allowed the manufacture to spread to France, Germany and Austria. At the beginning of the 20th century Austria (factory in Strakonice) was the main center of the fez industry.
A view of Strakonice in the 19th century
The history of textile manufacturing in Strakonice is one of more than 500 years; however, the year 1812, when the production of world famous knitted fezzes was launched, marks the true beginning of textile manufacturing.
The beginning of fez production in Strakonice is not quite clear. The story goes that Linz businessman Braun who was doing brisk trade with the Orient, visited the town in 1805. He stayed in the ale-house “U Bílé růže” and was looking for somebody who could make a fez. The innkeeper brought in expert knitter Jan Petráš, Braun explained the process of fez production to him. The result was said to be better than expected, that is why the businessman decided to conclude a long term contract with the knitter. Petráš did really well and very soon he had so many orders that he was unable to meet them himself. Of course, other knitters noticed his success and production of fezzes expanded rapidly.
The first fez was made here in 1807; in 1812 the Fürth brothers established a company manufacturing caps and fezzes. Their products enjoyed great success and the sales steadily increased. In 1873, Wolf Fürth’s company recorded an annual output of 1.2 million fezzes. In the year 1899, the factories in Austria-Hungary merged into one corporation based in Vienna, Austria. After the foundation of Czechoslovakia, the headquarters were moved to Strakonice where the production of fezzes has continued until the present day. The countries where the fezzes were extensively worn did not have a single fez manufacturing plant.
During the reign of the Sultan Mahmud Khan II (1808-39), European code of dress gradually replaced the traditional robes worn by members of the Ottoman court. The change in costume was soon emulated by the public and senior civil servants, followed by the members of the ruling intelligentsia and the emancipated classes throughout the Turkish Empire. As European dress gradually gained appeal, top hats and bowlers with their great brims, and the French beret, never stood a chance. They did not conform with the customs and religions of the east. In their stead the Sultan issued a firman (royal decree) that the checheya headgear in its modified form would become part of the formal attire irrespective of his subjects' religious sects or milets.
Mustafa Kemal regarded the fez - which Sultan Mahmud II had originally introduced to the Ottoman Empire's dress code in 1826 - as a symbol of feudalism and banned it, encouraging Turkish men to wear European attire - thus, hats such as the fedora became popular.
Early 20th Century Textile Company Labels made in Czechoslovakia with images of Turkey. Gummed back label. Measurements: 9 1/2 x 4 1/2"