TEHRAN – Three cities and a village have been designated as national handicraft hubs in Iran, the deputy tourism minister has said.

Bayg and Firouzeh, both in northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, and Bafq in the central province of Yazd were registered as national cities of handicrafts while Besk, also in Khorasan Razavi, was named a national village of handicrafts, Maryam Jalali said on Wednesday. 

“The registration of handicraft cities and villages at the national level can boost tourism, increase production, and help prevent migration,” she noted. 

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. For instance, Shiraz is named a “world city of [diverse] handicrafts”, Malayer is a global hub for woodcarving and carved-wood furniture, while Zanjan has gained the title of a “world city of filigree”.

Available data compiled by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts suggests the value of Iran’s handicrafts exports stood at $120 million during the first eleven months of the 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.

ABU/AFM