Kızılcabölük Weaving

Kızılcabölük is one of the oldest weaving centres of the province of Denizli in the Aegean Region.

Resources indicate that weaving has been performed extensively in the region known as the Lycos Valley in the Antiquity that extends from the skirts of the Babadag Mountains and encompasses Pamukkale, Goncah and Honaz areas since the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
The findings of the excavations conducted in the Lycos Valley confirm this quite long history of the weaving tradition.

In this region, known for its weavings produced formerly with wool and later with silk and today more with cotton as raw materials, production with traditional hand weaving looms has been diminished in extent, but still survived to our day. 

The number of movement on hand looms is measured with the unit known as 'ayak' (foot) in Kizilcabölük. After 2-3-4-5 feet, the weaving system continues with even numbers, namely 6-8-10-12 feet. 

In the past, a coloured pattern with stripes in the direction of warps was produced with the 3-foot handloom system and named as ‘Beaded Kizilcabölük’ (Kizilcabölük boncuklusu).

Woven with the 5-foot handloom system, ‘Nailed Kizilcabölük’ (Kizilcabölük tirnaklisi) has a pattern similar to that of the Beaded Kizilcabölük. 

On the other hand, various patterns created with the 6-foot handloom system are referred to as 'siğir sidiği' (cattle bladder), 'pine tree' and 'cup saucer'.

With the 8-foot system, patterned fabrics known as 'vişe' are woven by creating regular rectangular patterns by using white yarns from the wefts and placing 1 white warp through black warps at 2-cm intervals.

There are around 50 types of patterns woven with the 10/12-feet system and these can be produced in various forms depending on the skills and taste of the weaver. Due to the more intense ornamentation content, this group of patterns is known as 'greplingiller'.

In addition to types of fabric woven with cotton yarns, aba produced with woollen yarn and çuha that is a slightly finer fabric have also been determined as fabrics woven in Kizilcabölük on handlooms. 

Examples of woven fabrics of the region are displayed at Kizilcabölük Textile Museum. 

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