Maraz goat () or Markhoz goat is a breed of goat indigenous to

Kurdistan Kurdistan (, ; ), or Greater Kurdistan, is a roughly defined geo- cultural region in West Asia wherein the Kurds form a prominent majority population and the Kurdish culture, languages, and national identity have historically been based. G ...

that are known as a multipurpose livestock and especially famous for their high quality fiber.

History

The history of goat domestication in

dates back to 9000 BC. Maraz goat has been long used as for its milk, meat and most importantly high quality fiber known as mohair. The goat has been for long known and domesticated in Kurdistan and has the furthest genetic distance to other breeds of goats.

Appearances

Maraz goats are agile and have small bodies (weigh between 30 and 35

kilogram The kilogram (also spelled kilogramme) is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand grams. It has the unit symbol kg. The word "kilogram" is formed from the combination of the metric prefix kilo- (m ...

s on average). They have different colors such as white, black and different shades of brown and grey.

Fiber

The body of maraz goat is covered with

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

-like curly

mohair Mohair (pronounced ) originated from the Arabic word �هيرand it is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat (not Angora wool from the fur of the Angora rabbit). Both durable and resilient, mohair is lustrous with high shee ...

that is often used for weaving fabrics used in Kurdish clothing. The fiber is especially used in men's clothing for making Rank u Choxe, which consists of a coat and pants worn by men.

References

Goat breeds Fauna of Kurdistan {{Goat-stub