HEREKE
In the period of Sultan Abdülmecid, Ohannes and Bogos
Dadyan took the responsibility of building broadcloth
factory.For this business they were travelling between Izmit
and Istanbul.One day they stopped for a meal in Hereke.They
impressed Hereke's natural beauty.They wanted to build their
own factory beside broadcloth factory's expenses.In 1843, a
weaving factory was built around Ulupinar Brook by the
permisson of Serasker Riza Pasa.There were 50 cotton looms
and 25 silk cloth looms.Sultan Abdülmecid learnt the factory in
1844.He got angry building factory without his own permission
and he made a journey to Izmit with Serasker Riza Pasa.When
they were passing Hereke he asked the factory as if he didn't
know it.Serasker Riza Pasa was clever and cunning.He
understood that the situation was critical.He said "It's my
surprise for you but I wanted to show you in its own place.So I
kept it as a secret, I didn't mention about it in Istanbul.The
contractors built a factory on behalf of you in Hereke." The
factory was ceded to Abdülmecid by its owners.We haven't got
detailed information about the factory's foundation period.But
we know that the first manager was Sarkis Aga and the first
administrative committee was consist of Sarkis Aga and an
Italian painter, Camaron.
A three storied big wooden building was constructed in
Kemhane in 1850.It was build to produce silk clothes to furnish
the palace.The number of the silk looms were increased from
25 to 100 and 50 cotton looms were moved to Bakirköy
factory.So the factory started to produce only silk fabric. In
1850 a shop opened in Old Bazaar to sell factory's products
directly but the palace had the shop closed.In 1878 the
furnace of silk curling department was burnt.The factory closed
for five years and in 1882 the furnace rebuilt so the factory
started to production.
The carpet workshop was constructed in today's Lise's place
with the signature of Sultan Abdülhamit on it, in 1891.There
were 100 carpet looms in it.The factory got to be
internationally famous.Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted to see it when
he was visiting Ottoman Emperor in 1898.As a result of this,
the historic villa was made in Abdülhamit's palace in three
weeks and constructed in Hereke in a night. Also, in Hereke
weaving Factory they made the carpets and curtains of famous
American industrialist Andre Carnegie's palace in La Haye(The
Peace Palace).The factory opened a Primary School in
Hereke.(Today's Sümer Ilkogretim Okulu) In 1902, broadcloth,
wool and fibre departments started to production with 20
looms.In 1905, fez department began to operate.In 1917, 30
more wool looms were added and there were 50 wool
looms.The factory was transferred to Sanayi ve Maadin bank
which related to The Ministry of Finance.Most of the building
and some of the machines were destructed by fire that
happened in wool department in 1932.In 1933 the factory was
transferred to Sümerbank.The weaving looms were increased
from 52 to 103 in 1938.
In Hereke Weaving Factory in 1967, 114 tons of Strayhgarn
fibre, 953.000 meters raw woolen cloth, 874.000 meters
produced woolen cloth and 1366 meters silk fibre were used.In
1967, 946 employers was working, 94 of them were civil
servants and 852 of them were workers.
The factory was privatized in 1995 and we know that its
production capacity was 321 tons of fibre, 2,96 million meters
cloth with 624 spindles and 74 looms.There were 52 civil
servants and 430 workers, altogether 482 employers.
The first manager in the period of Abdülhamid, was Haci Akif
Efendi.Other managers are Agah Efendi, Resat Agriboz, Nihat
Alpar, Vasif Dokuman, Sabri Teoman, Kenan Sidal, Müeyyer
Kerimoglu, Nail Andac, Cevat Alpar, Saip Serte, Hüsnü
Özmen,Ragip Kulelioglu, Sabahattin Taray, Nevzat Kinay.
