TEHRAN–An international training course on needlework is being held in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan with the aim of empowering female crafters.

The project, which is underway in four cities of the province, has been organized by the Tehran University of Art in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and with the support of Japan’s Government, CHTN reported on Friday.

Workshops are offered in color science, packaging, digital marketing, visual identity, sewing, and clothing design as part of this educational course, the report added.

Some 60 local crafters have attended the course, which will come to an end on September 22.

Needlework (Souzan-douzi in Persian) is a very common occupation among females in southern regions of the country.

It is the art of drawing images on plain fabrics by sewing delicate stitches using needle and colorful yarns. They are mainly used to embellish women’s clothes; however, such works are applied to decorate bracelets, necklaces, bags, and scarves.

The collective province -- Sistan in the north and Baluchestan in the south -- accounts for one of the driest regions of Iran with a slight increase in rainfall from east to west and an obvious rise in humidity in the coastal regions. In ancient times, the region was a crossword in the Indus Valley and the Babylonian civilizations.

The province possesses special significance because of being located in a strategic transit location, especially Chabahar, which is the only ocean port in Iran and the best and easiest access route of the middle Asian countries to free waters. The vast province is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites, namely Shahr-e-Soukhteh (Burnt City) and Lut desert.

ABU/AM