Leather Craft

Leather crafting is one of the oldest craftsmenship of human history. Anatolian civilizations used leather for clothing, household tools, music instruments, bookbinding and illuminated for decorative objects.

First findings for leather crafting discovered in Catalhoyuk in Middle Anatolia, the biggest and best protected Neolithic settlement (7500 BC to 5700 BC). Hittites (2000-1200 BC), one of the magnificient civilization of Anatolia developed the art of aluminium tanning. Anatolian leather crafting tradition have been improved with the migration of Turks from Central Asia to Anatolia. Anatolian Seljuk era between 1077-1307 represents the synthesis derived from the culture brought by the Turks from their motherland and the local Anatolian cultural heritage.

During the Ottoman Empire leather craftsmanship have been developed enormously by the support of Turkish-Islamic guild. Fatih Sultan Mehmet, after he conquered Istanbul built 33 slaughterhouses and 360 tanneries for leather trade. While Istanbul was the major leather production and consumption place during the Ottoman Empire, also all around Anatolia leather crafting developed. The 16. and 17. centuries were the most popular times of Turkish leather as of quality. The leather production technique´Sahtiyan´of Turks became world-famous during that period and entered leather terminology in English as the ´Turkish Leather´.

During the first years of Turkish Republic almost in every town in Anatolia leather crafting was continued. The renown Turkish leather continues its quality and popularity at our modern times.

You can find beautiful leather crafting examples of artisan Moria at our web site.