TEHRAN –The National Seal of Excellence has been granted to 14 high-quality works handcrafted by artisans of Alborz province, the provincial tourism chief has announced.

Ceramics, traditional blacksmithing, toreutics and leatherwork are among the works awarded with the National Seal of Excellence, Fereydoun Mohammadi said on Monday. 

Since the province has been home to different ethnic groups, it has a wide variety of handicrafts, and the handicraft exhibitions that have been held so far have seen a high number of sales of works, the official added. 

The National Seal of Excellence is given to high-quality, selected works to support craftspeople, improve the quality of their works and preserve the originality of this industry, and create sustainable employment.

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. In January 2020, the cities of Shiraz, Malayer, and Zanjan and the village of Qassemabad were designated by the WCC- Asia Pacific Region, putting Iran’s number of world crafts cities and villages from ten to 14.

Alborz province is surrounded by Mazandaran, Tehran, Markazi, and Qazvin provinces. Its name is driven by the Alborz Mountains. A significant part of the mountains is located in the north part of the province.

Historical resources and documents as well as archeological studies indicate that Alborz has a rich culture dating back to prehistoric times.

ABU/