Capra hircus aegagrus

Angora goats produce a soft, thick fleece called mohair.

Mohair is much stronger than sheep's wool, yet lighter. It is a superb insulator, very strong (stretch and crease resistant), moisture resistant and flame resistant.

The Angora goat was one of the first domesticated animals (some 9,000 years ago) in Tibet and the Himalayan Mountains.The term Mohair is derived from the ancient Arabic word mukhayar which literally translates as “preferred goat's-hair cloth”. This term is used in the Old Testament; in the biblical book of Exodus (1500 B.C.) the Israelites left Egypt with a goat that produced a pure white fleece. This same fleece was later used in the altar furnishings and curtains of the tabernacle.

The name Angora originates from the region Ankara in Turkey which became renowned for its mohair wool and goats from the thirteenth century. For a long time Turkey closely protected its mohair industry and exports of unprocessed fibre or animals was banned.

The first Angora goat to be introduced to Europe was given as a gift to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in the sixteenth century. It was not until the nineteenth century that the goats were exported commercially from Turkey and they found their way to South Africa, Europe, Australia and the U.S.A.

From the late nineteenth to twentieth century mohair became popular in the fabrication of teddy bears (soft, strong and easy to clean) and military uniforms (crease, moisture and flame resistant). At the same time the fleeces resemblance to human hair was employed by wigmakers.