TEHRAN - World Crafts Council President Saad Hani Al-Qaddumi has acclaimed Isfahan as one of the earliest nominees named a World Handicrafts City.

“Isfahan is one of the first cities that gained the title of World Handicrafts City,” Qaddumi said on Sunday, IMNA reported.

Qaddumi made the remarks in an address to a WCC conference of mayors held in the ancient Iranian city on Sunday.

He said the handicraft sector can help generate jobs for a better life and economic prosperity. “In a world where employment is declining, handicrafts can support growth, expansion, economic development, and exports.”

The WCC president also stressed the need for regional support to preserve cultural identities. “Inventive artists and designers within cultural frameworks are protectors of each region’s cultural and artistic borders against cultural invasion.”

Handicrafts development is made possible by national and local governments through communication, planning, and providing space for training and development, he explained.

Isfahan Mayor Ali Ghasemzadeh, for his part, stressed the need to assist the sector, adding: “We haven’t provided a fertile ground for the handicraft sector, and if we had, there would be more trust in this industry.”

Ghasemzadeh said over 100,000 people work in the handicraft sector across Isfahan province. “According to the latest statistics compiled by the Handicrafts Union of Isfahan province, more than 100,000 people, equivalent to five percent of the province’s population, are employed in the field of handicrafts.”

Isfahan's Islamic City Council Director Mohammad Noorsalehi reminded attendees of the city’s significant place in the global scene in terms of handicraft skills passed down from generation to generation.

“One-third of all known handicrafts are currently being practiced in Iran, with Isfahan hosting two-thirds of this total,” Noorsalehi said.

Elsewhere in his remakes, Noorsalehi called for more support for craftspeople. “We must take action to develop this business… By resolving the issues, the handicraft industry can grow. Handicraft activists need some support and a loosening of the laws.”

Efforts for handicrafts resurgence are in line with preserving national identity so it should be valued in every way, he concluded.

Isfahan is sometimes referred to as the crown jewel of Iran’s handicraft industry, where its artisans do their best to safeguard know-how passed down from generation to generation.

The city was once a crossroads of international trade and diplomacy in Iran and now it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations for good reasons. It has long been nicknamed as Nesf-e-Jahan, which is translated into “half the world”; meaning seeing it is relevant to see half the world.

AFM