2
The work of Ali Bin Abibakr Al-Haravi, who traveled
through Anatolia in 1173, is considered the earliest known
source mentioning meerschaum. However, he did not
provide any information regarding its uses. Meerschaum-
type sepiolite became widely recognized and in demand
in Europe, particularly after the 1850s, with the Austro-
Hungarian Empire as the primary buyer. Austria-Hungary
not only profited significantly from meerschaum but also
introduced it to Europe and beyond. Detailed records of
meerschaum exports and the Austro-Hungarian connec-
tion are available in Viennese sources. A report published
by “Das Handels-Museum” on June 3, 1886, states that
Vienna had been involved in the meerschaum industry for
over 50 years, indicating a connection with Eskisehir dating
back to the 1830s.
In 1834, Charles Texier observed that the Ottoman
Empire held a monopoly over meerschaum-type sepio-
lite. During this period, meerschaum was available only
in general warehouses in Eskisehir, with its export man-
aged by the Ottoman authorities. A chest of meerschaum
sold for 1,500 kuruş, equivalent to 625 francs, a substan-
tial sum at the time, valued at about 30 gold coins in the
Ottoman market. The lack of modern roads and vehicles
made transportation a bigger challenge than export itself.
Before the railway was introduced, merchants transported
meerschaum from Eskisehir by animal caravans, primar-
ily camels, along a route from Eskisehir to İznik, which
Reinhardt named the “Meerschaum Road.” From İznik, the
meerschaum was shipped to Istanbul, then on to Belgrade
and Budapest, eventually reaching Viennese merchants
who took control of its trade. With Austria not imposing
customs taxes on meerschaum, Vienna became the hub for
its trade and exploitation. By the 19th century, the meer-
schaum trade was largely dominated by Viennese mer-
chants (Algan, 2015).
Meerschaum-type sepiolite has been recognized
worldwide, particularly in Europe, for centuries and is
still promoted internationally as “Vienna Stone,” though
not as prominently as before. Despite its high quality and
versatility, this valuable sepiolite originating from Turkey
(Eskişehir) has not been widely acknowledged or promoted
as Turkish, whether by oversight or design. This type of
sepiolite has been known in Turkey for about 550 years
and has gained greater recognition, especially over the last
250 years. However, public awareness and appreciation for
it within Turkey remain insufficient. Due to centuries of
smuggling and the export of both raw and processed forms,
significant-high-quality reserves have been depleted.
MINING AND PROCESSING
TECHNIQUES
For 200 years, meerschaum has generally been produced
using primitive methods. In the earliest approach, min-
ers accessed meerschaum layers by descending unsup-
ported shaft and navigating narrow galleries, typically in
teams of two or three. This technique, known as the pulley
method (Figure 2), involves extracting meerschaum from
depths of 30–100 meters, or in some areas, from as deep
as 200 meters using pickaxes and sometimes electrical dig-
ging devices (Figure 3). In the pulley method, pit diam-
eters range from 0.6 to 2 meters, with small ledges carved
into the walls for vertical movement. There is no modern
elevator system instead, the electric pulleys are used to lift
the gathered meerschaum nodules in 15–20-liter buckets
or bags.
Figure 2. Underground mine shaft and accessories
Figure 3. Underground mine working conditions in an
meerschaum mine
The work of Ali Bin Abibakr Al-Haravi, who traveled
through Anatolia in 1173, is considered the earliest known
source mentioning meerschaum. However, he did not
provide any information regarding its uses. Meerschaum-
type sepiolite became widely recognized and in demand
in Europe, particularly after the 1850s, with the Austro-
Hungarian Empire as the primary buyer. Austria-Hungary
not only profited significantly from meerschaum but also
introduced it to Europe and beyond. Detailed records of
meerschaum exports and the Austro-Hungarian connec-
tion are available in Viennese sources. A report published
by “Das Handels-Museum” on June 3, 1886, states that
Vienna had been involved in the meerschaum industry for
over 50 years, indicating a connection with Eskisehir dating
back to the 1830s.
In 1834, Charles Texier observed that the Ottoman
Empire held a monopoly over meerschaum-type sepio-
lite. During this period, meerschaum was available only
in general warehouses in Eskisehir, with its export man-
aged by the Ottoman authorities. A chest of meerschaum
sold for 1,500 kuruş, equivalent to 625 francs, a substan-
tial sum at the time, valued at about 30 gold coins in the
Ottoman market. The lack of modern roads and vehicles
made transportation a bigger challenge than export itself.
Before the railway was introduced, merchants transported
meerschaum from Eskisehir by animal caravans, primar-
ily camels, along a route from Eskisehir to İznik, which
Reinhardt named the “Meerschaum Road.” From İznik, the
meerschaum was shipped to Istanbul, then on to Belgrade
and Budapest, eventually reaching Viennese merchants
who took control of its trade. With Austria not imposing
customs taxes on meerschaum, Vienna became the hub for
its trade and exploitation. By the 19th century, the meer-
schaum trade was largely dominated by Viennese mer-
chants (Algan, 2015).
Meerschaum-type sepiolite has been recognized
worldwide, particularly in Europe, for centuries and is
still promoted internationally as “Vienna Stone,” though
not as prominently as before. Despite its high quality and
versatility, this valuable sepiolite originating from Turkey
(Eskişehir) has not been widely acknowledged or promoted
as Turkish, whether by oversight or design. This type of
sepiolite has been known in Turkey for about 550 years
and has gained greater recognition, especially over the last
250 years. However, public awareness and appreciation for
it within Turkey remain insufficient. Due to centuries of
smuggling and the export of both raw and processed forms,
significant-high-quality reserves have been depleted.
MINING AND PROCESSING
TECHNIQUES
For 200 years, meerschaum has generally been produced
using primitive methods. In the earliest approach, min-
ers accessed meerschaum layers by descending unsup-
ported shaft and navigating narrow galleries, typically in
teams of two or three. This technique, known as the pulley
method (Figure 2), involves extracting meerschaum from
depths of 30–100 meters, or in some areas, from as deep
as 200 meters using pickaxes and sometimes electrical dig-
ging devices (Figure 3). In the pulley method, pit diam-
eters range from 0.6 to 2 meters, with small ledges carved
into the walls for vertical movement. There is no modern
elevator system instead, the electric pulleys are used to lift
the gathered meerschaum nodules in 15–20-liter buckets
or bags.
Figure 2. Underground mine shaft and accessories
Figure 3. Underground mine working conditions in an
meerschaum mine