TEHRAN – The Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq is currently hosting an exhibition of Iranian handicrafts and traditional arts.

During the three-day exhibit, craftsmen and artisans from the western Kordestan province display their handmade products at 20 stalls, Kordestan’s deputy tourism chief has said. 

Five of these 20 stalls are dedicated to handicrafts from the UNESCO-registered Uramanat region, while the other 15 are dedicated to the handicrafts of other parts of the province, Farhad Hamedi said on Friday. 

Supporting crafters and promoting handicrafts in the region to help create more job opportunities for the locals are on the agenda of the province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department, the official added. 

The exhibit will come to an end on Sunday, he noted.  

The name Kordestan refers to the region’s principal inhabitants. After the Turkish invasion of Iran in the 11th century CE (Seljuk period), the name Kurdistan was applied to the region comprising the northwestern Zagros Mountains. It was during the reign of Shah Abbas the Great (1501–1736) that the Kurds rose to prominence, having been enlisted by the Safavid king to help stem the attacks of the marauding Uzbeks from the east in the early 17th century.
 
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.

ABU/AFM