The first axes were sharpened by means of beating two stones on each other; fire was set by sparks coming from a stone. Pots were made by burning clay in fire, metal was found out by roasting ore. Feelings, fear, belief were transferred through stones. Earlier history was written on stones.

Meerschaum, known in the world of science under the name of "sepiolite", resembling a cuttlefish bone called "sepio", is a mineral of a sedimentary origin (hydrosilicate of magnesium). Its deposits are in the area of Eskisehir in metamorphosis layers located at various levels up to the depth of 380 meters in the form of single gallnuts. Randomly connected crystallines form a microscopic porous structure. Owing to the zeolitic water which is in its structure, meerschaum is damp and soft and also can be easily and elaborately processed. Losing natural humidity in the process of drying up pieces become very light, but resistant, besides they acquire high capacity to absorb liquid and gas. When meerschaum which dries up without any changes in size is put in water, it gets natural humidity in a short time.

Owing to its natural riches and features Eskisehir became an indispensable place of settlement during the history. Various cultures, which were on its territory, generated legends in different languages known all over the world. The story about how the meerschaum was found and became known is told in "The Legend about Moles", which takes an important place among traditional legends. Nevertheless, one piece which was found during archeological excavations in Demircihöyük, Eskisehir, specifies that meerschaum or the stones which possess features similar to those of the meerschaum, were known 5000 years ago since the early bronze age, and had traces of manual processing. The royal burial places dated 4000 years ago which are situated at the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea in a valley of the river Kuban, were also laid by meerschaum, brought from Eskisehir, Asia Minor.

Since ancient times...
During a saving excavation recently carried out by Anatolian University and the Archeological Museum, there was found a Press Stamp, which was cut out of meerschaum but wasn’t completed. The tomb with this press in quite fair preservation possibly belongs to an 8-year-old girl and is dated by early Hittite period 3700 years ago.

Meerschaum in a traveling diary
" Kitab al işarat ila marifat ez ziyarat"
" A guidebook for learning [places] of pilgrimage ",
which was written by Ali Bin Ebubekir (who is ` the wanderer `) El-Herevi

In the sources written after archeological findings, the traces of meerschaum can be found only thousands of years later, in the XII century. In 1173 during the domination of Turks when Eskisehir was "Üçbeylik" and the center of transit trade, the Arabian traveler El-Herevi, who visited "Sultan Oyugi" Eskisehir, told about healing hot springs "?v-garm" and meerschaum in his traveling diary, but did not explain, who used them and for what purpose.

200 years prior to Gutenberg in ?urfan Uigur texts
which were printed by means of wooden cliches,
meerschaum was recommended for healing purposes.

The same period, 1200-1300, was the brightest period of Uigurs and Turks in Central Asia. Especially in the city of Turfan which was situated on the ancient "Silk Road" thousands of morals and admonitions belonging to Buddhism, religion of that time, were translated from Sanskrit into the Uigur-Turkish language and printed by means of wooden clichés.
In these written sources known under the name of "Turfan Texts", recipes of medicines prepared from "finely ground sifted meerschaum" were also mentioned. It became known, that, owing to this especial mineral, which was also used for preparation of medicines the manufacturers of meerschaum, who were just mentioned by El-Herevi in his book, won the right to be first exporters of Eskisehir, sending production to India and Central Asia 800 years ago or even more.

Tobacco is a plant with African origin. It is considered to have medical features and it was used by shaman for treatment and trance. It was delivered to America through Northern Asia, and in the beginning of the XVI century owing to Christopher Columbus it found its way to Europe. A quickly extending habit to smoke tobacco became the reason of the establishment of the sector of pipe manufacturing. Thus a search for attractive material for pipes began. Only meerschaum, which is mined in Eskisehir and has such characteristics as white colour, light weight and suitable processing size, has become the best material for pipes. People who delivered this rare stone to Europe and promoted creation of the first pipes, arrived to the Ottoman territory not by chance, but on the basis of sufficient information or at least by reliable advice.
Having received more than they expected, they opened a lot of workshops on processing of meerschaum in Europe and especially in Vienna.

The best material
for manufacturing of pipes
in the world

In Turkish this material was called "Deniz Köpüğü" hundred years ago. In Greek it is "Halos Hachne", in Latin its name is "Spuma Maris", in Italian it is called "Schiuma di Mare", in French it is "Ecume de Mer", but "Meerschaum" remains to be the most widespread variant. The fact that alongside with this name expression "Die Weisse Göttin" (the White Goddess - the Aphrodite) was very often used testifies the value given to the meerschaum at that time.

The mineral shavings of which
are not spent in vain!

This mineral was so valuable, that even its shavings were not spent in vain, they were pressed by means of special additives and then wooden pipe lining were made of them. From researches which were carried out later, it became known, that meerschaum is a very valuable raw material which can be used in the industry and first of all in the manufacture of ceramics, paints and paper.

A map showing the geographical position
of exploration areas around Eskisehir.

A cut of one mine
Since XVIII century in 3 basic deposits called Nemli, Yakabou and Karatepe situated near Eskisehir thousands of "wells" (mines) have been cut to satisfy a huge demand which completely came from abroad. Only with the use of human force in very firm ground consisting of limestone and cement there were dug vertical wells sometimes reaching 100 meters in order to reach meerschaum.

In a meerschaum mine ...

Having reached the layers where meerschaum is situated, depending on the position of the mineral a long platform is opened in all directions from the deposit, and thus the mineral is mined. If these works performed at the light of an icon or acetylene lamp, go further to the depth below the level of underground waters, it is necessary to take the collected water out of the mine all the time.

The MESSAGE of a MOLE

Long time ago far from here during hot time of the day
one good fellow set off,
in the afternoon when he sat down in a shadow to eat something,
a Mole took out a stone from the depth.
It was white as snow, soft as the skin of a woman,
the good fellow got interested and broached it lightly with a penknife,
The stone slipped out of his hands and turned in front of him
into a beautiful girl.
She had sad eyes, and said desperately in a gentle voice:
" Ah, good fellow, how dared you to behave to me so ruthlessly”?
And she immediately turned into meerschaum again.
The mole grew lean and ran into its hide.
The good fellow lost his head,
the image of the girl entered his heart,
and he started to dig the ground with hands,
trying to catch the escaping love.
His relatives waited for him, having received no news, they were afraid, for many days they looked for the good fellow without a break,
and found him dead in a narrow well,
he was tightly holding a white stone in his palm.
Talat Urersoy

New employment, new settlements...

More than 10000 workers were brought mostly from the outskirts of the city in order to fulfill heavy work in meerschaum mines where there was no due technical equipment. They created a settlement near meerschaum areas which was as big as a town.

The works on preparation of the stones extracted from under the ground and mixed with sand and clay, to get them ready for export, were carried out in studios organized in the city centre. First the surface of the stone was processed and cleaned by "cleaning hammers" with thin peaks and special cleaver called "tara". The defective parts or unnecessary salient parts were cut off. Then the stone were slightly cleaned with a "rough knife", corrected and got under an irreproachable state by massing it with a "wet silence cloth". The stones which were completely dried up in the ovens, this time were rubbed and finished with waxed felt, then sorted, packed in certain quantities in standard chests, "long boxes," and sent. When in 1970-s after long discussions and intermediate decisions according to new laws which were passed, the export of meerschaum in the form of stones was finally forbidden, this whole circuit of preparatory procedures became unnecessary. Now the majority of the stone is extracted by means of electricity, compressed air and pumps, it is only superficially cleaned at the place of extraction and sent to the craftsmen of meerschaum in its natural form in order not to lose its moisture.

The way of meerschaum from the well up to the packing box demands huge work. And only physical efforts are not enough, we also need experience improved during many years and the most important thing is person’s endowments and propensity.

Meerschaum is a very gentle, obedient, easily processable mineral. But one superfluous impact by a knife can spoil all work, and this mistake cannot be corrected. It is not easy to be a master, to transfer feelings into the stone. A real master, being an expert, is famous all over the world.

Professional manufacture of pipes began in the first years of the Republic by Ali Osman Denizköpüğü, called "King", who opened a small studio in Erkekler Hamamı street. In the folowing years many small workshops on pipe manufacturing were opened in the same street. Owing to meerschaum products, which at first were processed on the native ground, the craftsman Ali Osman, known and encouraged by Atatürk, did not only make the visitors of local and international exhibitions and fairs to start talking about Eskisehir, but also opened new horizons for many young craftsmen and meerschaum in general.

Elegance of ornaments

The processing of meerschaum as an end-product in the form of turning of beads began from the production wastes. Beads, necklaces, brooches and prayer beads of different sizes which were often made by women sitting on the threshold of the house or during their visits to neighbors by means of a simple manual lathe called a "cutter" or "a spinning wheel" started to be sold.

Original works of art
demand education and work!

In 1800s the export of raw meerschaum was the greatest source of income which could be compared to gold. A century later, this time in connection with pipe manufacture meerschaum experienced its gold years.

The largest companies of Europe and America, dealing with the manufacture of pipes, started to compete with each other for the right to cooperate with pipe manufacturers from Eskisehir. But economic and political crises in our country and all over the world, which took place especially during last 20 years, prevented the development of meerschaum at the level which it deserved.

The underground treasure of Eskisehir!

It is known, that at the depth which nobody can reach especially because of underground waters, there are much greater deposits of meerschaum. It is a unique natural product which can replace ivory the source of which is hunting and which trade is forbidden all over the world. Eskisehir, estimating this incomparable treasure, possesses necessary cultural maturity and experience to create "the image of meerschaum in the world".

Meerschaum is respect for love, art, and nature.