TEHRAN- Sa’dabad Cultural-Historical Complex in Tehran is scheduled to host an exhibition featuring the handicrafts of Iran and other member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization. 

Entitled “Souvenir House of Eco Member States”, the exhibit will only showcase handmade products by female artisans; CHTN quoted Elham Dorostkar, one of the organizers of the exhibit, as saying on Tuesday. 

A variety of high-quality handicraft products will be displayed by Iranian artists, and exhibitions like these can strengthen the cultural ties between Iranian artists and other countries because of the presence of artists from ECO countries, she added. 

Organizing such exhibitions will also assist in marketing and exporting products on the global handicrafts market, she noted. 

Organized by Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts in collaboration with the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the exhibit will run until April 15. 

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.

The value of Iran’s handicrafts exports stood at $120 million during the first eleven months of the past Iranian calendar year 1399 (March 20, 2020 – February 18, 2021), Mehr reported. The country’s handicrafts exports slumped during the mentioned months in comparison to the same period last a year earlier due to the damage the coronavirus pandemic has inflicted on global trade.

The Islamic Republic exported $427 million worth of handicrafts during the first eleven months of the calendar year 1398. Of the figure, some $190 million was earned via suitcase trade (allowed for customs-free and tax-free transfer) through 20 provinces, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

Ceramics, pottery vessels, handwoven cloths as well as personal ornamentations with precious and semi-precious gemstones are traditionally exported to Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, the U.S., the UK, and other countries.

ECO is an intergovernmental regional organization encompassing countries from Europe, Caucuses and Central Asia, West Asia, and South Asia with more than 460 million inhabitants and over 8 million square kilometers connecting Russia to the Persian Gulf and China to Europe.

The exhibit is scheduled to open its door to visitors on March 11.

ABU/AFM