TEHRAN—The 9th Fajr Festival of Handicrafts, known as Sarv-e Simin, will take place in Tehran from February 20 to 24. It will feature a selection of works from 20 countries.

Over 7,000 works, including 198 pieces from 60 international artists representing 20 countries, have been submitted to the secretary's office of the festival, the deputy minister for handicrafts said on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference, Maryam Jalali-Dehkordi announced the details during a press conference, noting that out of the submitted entries, 200 works have been selected for exhibition during the festival.

Moreover, the event will feature a Diplomatic Gifts Exhibition held at three levels, alongside exhibitions from all 31 Iranian provinces and a handicraft marketplace at the Sa’dabad Palace Museum.

The opening ceremony will be held at Sa’dabad Palace Museum on Thursday, while the closing ceremony is set to be held at the Milad Tower.

In addition, the festival will feature expert panels, special discussions led by judges from Thailand and India, as well as a special program titled “From Word to Pattern” with contributions from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. A panel of four international and five Iranian judges will assess submissions based on artistic message and storytelling, quality of raw materials, creativity, authenticity, and identity.

According to organizers, the 9th International Fajr Festival of Handicrafts promises to be a major cultural event, fostering international exchange and celebrating Iran’s rich artistic heritage. It is intended to highlight traditional skills passed down through centuries. It also seeks to inspire future generations to embrace these time-honored practices while facilitating new economic opportunities for artisans.

Available data compiled by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Iran’s annual handicraft exports currently stand at about $250 million, with an additional $250 million in informal “suitcase” exports. However, the global market for handicrafts is valued at $770 billion, underscoring a significant opportunity for growth.

Currently, a selection of 13 cities and three villages in Iran have been registered by the World Council of Handicrafts as “world cities of handicrafts”.

AM