TEHRAN - A photo collection depicts artisans making Kalash in workshops which are ubiquitous across the city of Marivan, western Iran.

Kalash, also called Giveh, is a traditional footwear used to be very popular all over Iran in the past. The lightweight and breathable footwear was originally intended to wear by men, however, in some regions they are welcomed by women too in the hot summertime.

Kalash is usually made from carpet yarn, leather and other raw materials so that it lets the air circulate from its tiny pores. Such shoes traditionally come in white color, but one can find them in red, blue, orange, and black as well.

Earlier this week, Marivan officially marked becoming a world crafts city of Kalash during a celebration to which Ghada Hijavi, the head of World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region as well as clusters of Iranian cultural officials and artisans attended. 

Located in Kordestan province, the city won the WCC-APR status earlier in September after a delegation of international experts probed the in-house expertise which has been passed down generations to generations.

A network of creative craft cities worldwide has been recently launched by the WCC in the framework of the creative economy and in response to the growing awareness of the contribution of local authorities, craftspeople and communities to cultural, economic and social development.

AFM/MQ/MG