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It is thought that angora goats originated in the Himalayas. From there they were brought down to Persia (now Iran) where the vegetation was as sparse and the landscape as rocky and dry as their original habitat. When the Persians ruled over Byzantium (Istanbul) they brought the angora goat with them to Turkey. This goat was, in fact, so important to their economy that the ancient city of Ancyra (now Ankara, Turkey's capital) was renamed Angora for a period of time. To secure their monopoly in the lucrative mohair trade the Turks refused to send any of their goats abroad and, until 1820, no raw mohair exports were permitted. Indeed the Turkish government of the time considered it a capital offense to export unspun mohair. To improve the breed with the aim of producing more fibre and more kids the Turks bred their small angoras with the common Kurd goat, a large tough animal with coarse fleece of various colours. The offspring of this breeding were then bred only to pure angoras for several generations in order to regain the bloodline. The result was a larger more productive goat but one that was still much smaller than the regular dairy goat. Angoras are small, sociable, gentle but hardy goats known for their silky, white, strong hair. They can live 17 or 18 years and usually have delightful personalities. reference: The Angora Goat, Its History, Management and Diseases by Stephanie
and Allison Mitcham, Crane Creek Publications, Sumner, Iowa, 1999.
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