Şırnak Nazmiye Demirel Vocational and Technical School started to produce local shawl fabric known as "Şepik" last year as a part of its handicraft technology workshop.

 

Root and regenerated paints are used during the production of shawl fabric woven from natural goat hair. The fabric keeps people cool during the summer and warm during the winter. The handmade fabric is known for its high production cost. Unit price of the fabric is 500 liras at the local market and it is 40 dollars in the international markets.

 

36 students are being trained at the workshop under the guidance of Mustafa Aslankılıç who was named as the Goat Hair Artist by the Ministry of Culture and Ministry.

 

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer stated that the Ministry has been carrying out projects in order to keep traditional Turkish arts and culture elements up-to-date and pass them over to the younger generations.

 

"We believe that it is important to revive an old production tradition. The production process of the fabric is hard and long. We carry out R&D activities in an effort to increase the production capacity of the fabric. Our priority is to reinforce the "education- production- employment" process in vocational education," said Özer.