History of Sericulture in Turkey

Abstract

According to ancient sources sericulture was started to be produced in China. Silkworm eggs were illegally exported from China by a Chinese Princess who married a royalty out of Chinese Imperial. Turks who were north neighbour nation of Chinese nation carried those silkworm eggs during their long journey to west. Silk used to be a crucial figure in world economy for centuries. The Silk Road was a political actor among powerful nations. Sericulture production was begun in Anatolia which is Asian part of Turkey in A.D. 552 during Byzantium Emperor of Justinianus. The city of Bursa became a textile city which was famous for silk and silk trade centre. In middle of 16 th century silk textile industry was developed. Apart from city of Bursa, cities of Istanbul, Edirne, Amasya, Denizli, Izmir and Konya were important sericulture centres. After Republic of Turkey has built, silkworm egg production, silkworm care and feed were protected under the Law of 859 in 1926. Some cooperative unions were built in Bursa, Bilecik and Adapazari in 1940 to protect and increase cocoon production. Later than those cooperatives were unified and they built Cocoon Sale Cooperatives Union of Bursa in 11 May 1940. Silkworm Egg Production Management of Cocoon Union which produced silkworm eggs was built in 1963. Turkey is one of the silkworm egg producer countries in the World. In this review history of sericulture was summarized.