TEHRAN – On the verge of Handicrafts Week, Iran gears up to celebrate artisanal traditions and economic growth with a great number of projects set for unveiling on World Handicrafts Day.

In a sideline meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts announced the opening of 144 projects in the handicrafts sector in honor of World Handicrafts Day (June 10).

Ezzatollah Zarghami emphasized the special attention and directives of the late President Ayatollah Raisi to handicrafts, stating that the programs for World Handicrafts Day will commence on Saturday in Mashhad, paying tribute to the late Ayatollah Raisi.

He further added that the opening ceremony of World Crafts Day will be held at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, during which numerous projects related to handicrafts will be unveiled.

The Minister clarified that these 144 projects, valued at 461 billion tomans (approximately nine million dollars) will generate employment for more than a thousand individuals.
“These projects include 127 handicraft production workshops,” Zarghami elaborated. “13 handicraft houses, along with four handicraft markets in various provinces.”

He stated that handicraft houses operate in three areas: exhibition, education, and sale of handicrafts. Additionally, by contributing to the restoration of historical buildings, they aid in both cultural heritage preservation and tourism development.

According to the in-charge officials, Handicrafts Week kicks off with the slogan “Renewing the Covenant with the Martyred President” in the city of Mashhad. Additionally, the second day of the week will host the World Handicrafts Day Symposium in Tehran, with the theme “Handicrafts: The Best Public Participation in Production Leap.”

The third day will feature a gathering of mayors from Handicrafts World Cities and a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the World Crafts Council, promoting “Handicrafts as Cultural Narratives on a Global Scale.”

Unveiling and inaugurating projects are among the planned activities, including an event in Shiraz with the theme “Handicrafts: Family, Productive, Developmental Navigator.”

The sixth day of the Week in Varamin will focus on nomadic handicrafts, with a session featuring professors and university presidents, highlighting “Handicrafts: Iranian Lifestyle with Cultural Diversity.”

Meetings with artists and craftsmen are other part of the agenda in Isfahan and Tehran provinces, under the slogans “Creative Handicrafts by Young Innovators” and “Handicrafts: Preserver of Tradition, Bearer of Values.”

Meeting with veteran professors, academics, and traditional artists, as well as the opening ceremony of an Iranian kilim exhibition hosted by Tehran province, are also planned with the themes “Handicrafts in Harmony with the Environment” and “Handicrafts in Harmony with the Environment in Synchronization with Sustainable Economy.

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