TEHRAN – Soltanieh, which is home to a UNESCO-designated monument of the same name, is playing host to advanced courses on kilim weaving. 

The masterclasses are being held free of charge to support employment and to help empower local communities, a local official said on Saturday, CHTN reported. 

Kilim is a pileless floor covering handwoven in most places where pile rugs are made. The term is applied both generally and specifically, with the former use referring to virtually any rug-like fabric that does not have a pile.

The vivid flooring is often woven on narrow looms, and two mirror-image pieces are sewn together along the long edge to produce the completed kilim. The vertical color junctions involve a discontinuity of the wefts, the colored yarns that produce the design. At these boundaries, there are small slits in the fabric.

The Islamic Republic exported $47 million worth of handicrafts in the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-July 21), according to data compiled by the Ministry of Cultural

Heritage, Tourism, and handicrafts. 
With 14 entries, Iran ranks first globally for the number of cities and villages registered by the World Crafts Council, as China with seven entries, Chile with four, and India with three ones come next.

AFM