One of the world’s most advanced laboratories on the research and development of natural dyes has been established in Istanbul by the Turkish Cultural Foundation with generous support from ARMAGGAN.

The Cultural Heritage Preservation and Natural Dyes Laboratory, DATU for its Turkish acronym, is headed by Dr. Recep Karadag, Scholar in Residence at TCF.

DATU has been providing natural dye technical analysis services free of charge to museums and art institutions in Turkey and Azerbaijan. The technology and micro analysis techniques employed by DATU in analyzing tiny fiber samples from antique carpets and textiles serves the preservation and restoration of such antique holdings. DATU has already provided analytical services to the Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya Museum, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Harbiye Military Museum, Konya Ethnographical Museum, Konya Mevlana Museum and the National History Museum of Azerbaijan. Holding one of the world’s largest natural dye plants collection, DATU also developed the capacity to recreate natural dye colors used in traditional Turkish weavings. The natural dyes research and production process at DATU creates dyes which have anti-bacterial, anti-microbial properties and are free of toxins and carcinogens.

DATU reflects the Turkish Cultural Foundation’s mission to promote and preserve Turkey’s cultural heritage by creating a scientific inventory of natural dyes, contributing to the redevelopment of the natural dye production process, as well as spreading the use of natural dyes in textile production.

For more information on DATU, please visit www.tcfdatu.org

DATU Presents Natural Pigments Collection

The Turkish Cultural Foundation (TCF) Natural Dyes Research and Dyes Research and Development Laboratory (DATU) is pleased to present a collection of 30 colors of natural organic lake pigments.
The DATU Pigment Collection is the largest such collection and represents the first of its kind produced from dye insects and dye plants indigenous to Turkey.

The pigments may be used in decorative arts, as well as in the restoration of paintings, frescos, miniatures, paper marbling and illumination art. The collection also includes detailed certificates about the chemical and physical properties of each featured pigment and information on which natural source it was derived from.

Turkey is home to the richest flora in the world and natural dyes had been used for centuries to create the most precious Turkish textiles. TCF-DATU aims to promote and preserve Turkey’s rich flora and its textile heritage, as well as spread the use of natural dyes. For this purpose, DATU has been a leader in natural dyes research and has provided pro bono analytical services to museums in Turkey and other countries, helping to preserve historical textiles and revive traditional Turkish woven art.

For more information on the product and for orders and deliveries outside of Turkey, please visit here. For orders from Turkey, please visit here.