RİZE CLOTH / FERETIKO

Rize Cloth / Feretiko is woven in Rize and its surroundings. Rize Cloth / Feretiko's history dates back to the 8th - 6th centuries BC and goes back to the Scythians. It is known that it was among the weavings used in the palace during the Ottoman period. It is one of the important weavings used in te preparation of the dowries in Rize. From the past to the 1960s, every house in the region had had a counter and Rize Cloth had been woven. Today, weaving training is tried to be popularised in courses organized by educational institutions and local administrations. Designs are made with plain weaving weft, technique, and scarves of different thickness or various colours. It has a different width depending on the type of product to be woven. Hemp, cotton and silk are used as materials in the weaving process. It has natural hemp colour differentiating from grey to silver and cream. Obtained by bleaching when necessary, white hemp is also used. Rize Cloth, known as Feretiko within the region, is woven either as hemp warp and weft or cotton/silk warp and hemp weft in the form of plain weaving weft pattern. The most characteristic feature of Rize Cloth is that it absorbs high amount of moisture. This is why, it is especially used in the production of shirts, underwear, handkerchiefs, towels, tablecloths and sheets. Although it looks like silk, Rize Cloth is a tough fabric. Textural differences made with ajour, thin-thick yarns as well as designs made with extra wefts are seen in the weavings. Rize Cloth /Feretiko has been registered by the Governorship of Rize, effective as of 31.03.2005 with registration no. 98, in accordance with Article 12 of the Decree no. 555 on the Protection of Geographical Indications.