Kargı Cloth (Kargı Bezi)
Kargı bezi (“Kargı cloth”) is a hand-woven textile unique to Kargı district. According to Turkey’s Culture Portal, the weave arose entirely to meet the local population’s basic clothing needs; in the periods when the craft flourished, the people of Kargı both grew cotton and raised silkworms, producing the thread and silk used on the loom themselves.
Features of the Weave
Kargı bezi is a labour-intensive craft, woven on a traditional loom. A similar local textile, kenefi bezi, uses the same loom and thread; the two differ mainly in the embroidery, colour and motifs seen on kenefi cloth. Today, weavers also add metallic thread and beads alongside the traditional technique — a sign of the craft adapting to contemporary taste.
Where It Stands Today
As factory-made fabrics have spread, interest in Kargı bezi has declined from its earlier peak. Still, the tradition is not forgotten: at the Traditional Handicrafts Festival held in December 2024, Kargı bezi drew special attention and was covered in the local press (“Kargı bezi, woven with a technique unique to the district”). Its pattern and technical features have also been documented in an academic study at Süleyman Demirel University.
Why It Matters
Kargı bezi is a tangible trace of Çorum’s self-sufficient village economy — a production chain running from cotton to thread to cloth. Identified with the district itself, the weave is part of the local fabric described on the Kargı history page; for other Çorum crafts, see our Çorum Handicrafts page.