Maraz goat

Merez goat (Kurdish: Bizinê Merez) or Markhoz goat (Traditional Kurdish fabric) is a breed of goat indigenous to Kurdistan[1][2] that are known as a multipurpose livestock and especially famous for their high quality fiber.[1]

White Merez goat in mountains
Special weaving machine and woven fabrics from Merez fibers for sewing Kurdish men's clothing

History

The history of goat domestication in Mesopotamia dates back to 9000 BC.[1] Maraz goat has been long used as for its milk, meat and most importantly high quality fiber known as mohair. The goat has been for long known and domesticated in Mesopotamia and has the furthest genetic distance to other breeds of goats.[3]

Appearances

Different colors of maraz goat: black, white and a shade of brown.

Maraz goats are agile and have small bodies (weigh between 30 and 35 kilograms on average).[1][2] They have different colors such as white, black and different shades of brown and grey.[1]

Fiber

Kurdish men wearing Şal û Şepik made of Merez goat's fiber - Zaxo
Kurdish men wearing Rank u choxe that is made of maraz goat's fiber
Kurdish mens wearing Şal û Şepik - Merez goat's fiber - Duhok

The body of maraz goat is covered with wool-like curly mohair that is often used for weaving fabrics used in Kurdish clothing. The fiber is especially used in men's clothing for making Şal û Şepik and Rank û Çoxe, which consists of a coat and pants worn by men.

Ready-made fabrics made from Maraz fibers - Şirnex, Northern Kurdistan

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "The status of Markhoz goat rearing in Kurdistan province". INTERNATIONAL GOAT ASSOCIATION. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  2. ^ a b "Innovative Kurdish farmers breed hardy goat hybrid". www.rudaw.net. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  3. ^ Al-Barzinji, Yousif M. S.; Hamad, Aram O. (2017). "Characterization of local goat breeds using RAP-DNA markers". 6th International Conference and Workshops on Basic and Applied Sciences. AIP Conference Proceedings. Vol. 1888. p. 020010. Bibcode:2017AIPC.1888b0010A. doi:10.1063/1.5004287. Retrieved 2024-05-13.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.