TEHRAN – During the two-week new year (Noruz) holidays, handicraft sales totaled 1.2 trillion rials ($4.4 million) across the country, the Iranian deputy minister for handicrafts has announced. 

This amount of sales is the result of temporary Noruz handicrafts markets held from March 17 to April 5, CHTN quoted Pouya Mahmoudian as saying on Sunday.

Several handicrafts markets and exhibitions were also held in museums, historical sites, monuments as well as eco-lodge unites and hotels across the country during the mentioned time, the official added. 

The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts has launched a social campaign to encourage people to use handicrafts as gifts to celebrate Noruz, which has also been promoted and continued this year, she noted. 

A number of other handicrafts activities were organized during Noruz, including giving handicraft gifts to Noruz trippers, holding handicraft competitions in the most touristic areas of various provinces, and awarding handicraft prizes for contests on heritage, sports, etc., she explained. 

There were also tours and workshops dedicated to tourists, and craft classes in historical and cultural attractions of various provinces, she mentioned. 

With 14 entries, Iran ranks first globally for the number of cities and villages registered by the World Crafts Council, as China with seven entries, Chile with four, and India with three ones come next. In January 2020, the cities of Shiraz, Malayer, and Zanjan and the village of Qassemabad were designated by the WCC- Asia Pacific Region, putting Iran’s number of world crafts cities and villages from ten to 14.

ABU/AFM