History of Linen
The homeland of flax is the region from the west of the Mediterranean to India. Most of the flax species are found naturally in this region. The Mediterranean region is important in flax fiber production, and Southwest Asia is important in oil linen production.
Linen is the most used fiber type in weaving in the First Age after cotton. Linen weavings that were found in five-thousand-year-old Egyptian tombs are proof that this fiber has been used since ancient times. According to the Egyptians, the god Isis was the one who taught weaving, and he found linen to wrap the bodies of her brother and wife Osiris. At the same age, the wool and linen weaving of the Babylonians is excellent. The Egyptians produced linen by weaving it in very different qualities. In this period, linen, which was also colored yellow and red, was mostly used as bleached. Linen was used by all ancient Egyptians; from pharaohs to mummies. The Phoenician traders brought the flax to Gaul and Britain. Then, linen was adopted by the Romans and spread throughout the Empire. The use of linen in medieval France became more widespread when it was noticed that it healed wounds on the skin. Then, the cultivation of flax became increasingly common in Northern Europe.
Flax farming and weaving trace to the early years of 2000 BC in Anatolia. During the Ottoman Empire period, important developments were experienced in flax farming and weaving. Before World War I, there was a significant amount of flax farming and trade of linen fabric along the Black Sea coast; from Şile to Rize. After World War I, linen weaving declined and flax farming decreased to the level of meeting the demands of the local people.