TEHRAN – Seven rolls of handwoven rugs dedicated to the 2018 FIFA World Cup were unveiled during a ceremony, which was held in the northwestern city of Tabriz on Saturday.

The magnificent rugs have been made under supervision of master Hossein Kazemi-Hamed in a span of six and a half months in a bid to convey messages of peace and friendship, IRNA reported.

They will be presented to the captains of Iran’s rival teams, the Russian Football Union, and FIFA World Football Museum, the report said, adding another rug will be offered to the Astan Quds Razavi Central Museum in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad.

One of the rugs is reserved in case Iran’s national team ascends to the next level of the tournament, Kazemi-Hamed said.

Tabriz has long been a center for weaving exquisite Persian carpets, with countless workshops scattered across the northwestern city and its outskirts.

AFM/MQ/MG