TEHRAN – A sales exhibition featuring works made by 53 Iranian craftspeople has opened to the public at the Carpet Museum of Iran in downtown Tehran.

A wide variety of quality handicrafts have been put on show at the five-day event, which will be running through December 4, CHTN reported.

“The quality and diversity of the displayed works are one of the most important advantages of this exhibition for handicraft enthusiasts,” Tehran’s tourism chief said on Wednesday.

Covering an area of 3,400 square meters, the museum boasts a treasure trove of some 2,000 Persian carpets that date from the Safavid era onwards. It also puts on display a rich patchwork of rare and centuries-old rugs, kilims, and tableau rugs. Situated northwest of Laleh Park in the heart of Tehran, the Carpet Museum of Iran was inscribed on the National Heritage List in November 2017.

Persian carpets are sought after internationally, with the medallion pattern being arguably the most characteristic feature of them all. Weavers spend several months in front of a loom, stringing and knotting thousands of threads.

Iran has 14 cities and villages registered as global handicraft hubs by the World Crafts Council (WCC). The Islamic Republic is followed by China with seven, Chile with four, and India with three WCC-registered craft hubs.

AM