A Section from the Story of Losing the Angora Goats

Abstract

The breeding of Angora goats in Ankara, the area with the most suitable geographical conditions in Anatolia, meant that the Ottoman Empire was unrivaled for around 500 years in the breeding of these animals. However, after Angora goats had been taken out of the country and successfully raised in South Africa and America, the Ottoman Empire began to lose its superior position. In this study, an extract from the story about the disappearance of Angora goats, the Austrian government’s request to the Ottoman government in April 1908 to purchase Angora goats to breed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the subsequent developments of the request are investigated. The study is also significant because it highlights the importance of Angora goats and the mohair trade for the Ottoman Empire, and the reactions of both mohair merchants and members of the Ottoman parliament

Keywords

• angora goat
• ottoman empire
• mohair trade
• austria
• britain
• ankara