TEHRAN— On Wednesday, Hamedan’s 17th national handicrafts exhibition opened its doors to the public in the ancient Iranian city.

A total of 246 stalls have been set up for the exhibition, which showcases the skills of crafters from 29 Iranian provinces.

According to organizers, the event has dedicated a special space to the cities and villages being registered as handicraft hubs by the World Crafts Council.

Based on available data, the value of Iran’s handicraft exports stood at $400 million during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year 1401 (Mar. 21, 2022 – Jan. 20, 2023). Compared with the same period a year earlier, the figure represents some 30 percent growth, deputy tourism Maryam Jalali Dehkordi said.

Iranian handicrafts have a high capacity for export, which can be realized through the creation of special holding companies, she said.

Iran exported some $320 million worth of handicrafts during the year 1400, the official added.

According to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Iran has the most cities and towns registered with the World Crafts Council (WCC), followed by China with seven, Chile with four, and India with three designated ones.

The WCC-Asia-Pacific Region designated Shiraz, Malayer, Zanjan, and the village of Qasemabad in January 2020, bringing the total number of craft cities and towns in Iran from 10 to 14. Shiraz has been dubbed “the world city of [various] handicrafts.”

Malayer became a center for woodcarving and carved wood furniture on a global scale. The designation “world city of filigree” was given to Zanjan. The village of Qassemabad, which is renowned throughout the country for its traditional costumes, was also promoted to a major handicrafts center on an international scale.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, the United States, and the coastal states of the Persian Gulf are among the countries that traditionally import ceramics, porcelain, hand-woven clothing, personal jewelry, and semi-precious stones from Iran.

AFM