TEHRAN – The historical bazaar of Malayer in west-central Hamedan province is scheduled to be demarcated in the second half of the current Iranian year (Sep.23 - Mar.23), a local tourism official has said. 

The demarcation project is aimed at preventing further destruction and damage as well as preserving and protecting the historical structure, Khadijeh Mola Mirzai explained on Sunday.

Malayer, a global hub for woodcarving and carved-wood furniture, is top on the list for those who are interested in wooden furniture.

Registered by the World Crafts Council - Asia-Pacific Region (WCC-APR), the Iranian town is home to over 4,000 furniture workshops in which more than 8,000 wood masters and some 25,000 crafters are engaged.

In Iranian culture, bazaars have been traditional public spaces in Iranian cities with great contributions to commercial activities in urban life meanwhile their extended activities can be traced to social, cultural, political, and religious roles.

Most mazes and passages offer certain commodities such as carpets, metalwork, toys, clothing, jewelry, kitchen appliances, traditional spices, herbal remedies, and natural perfumes. One can also bump into colorful grocery stores, bookbinders, blacksmiths, tinsmiths, coppersmiths, tobacconists, tailors, flag sellers, broadcloth sellers, carpenters, shoemakers, and knife-makers.

Several divided carpet sections across the bazaar enable visitors to watch or buy hand-woven Persian carpets and rugs with different knot densities and other features. From another point of view, bazaars are also synonyms for foods, with their unmissable colorful stalls of vegetables, herbs, and spices. Yet, most of these ingredients might be mysterious to a foreign eye.

ABU/AM