TEHRAN – A pottery workshop was held on Saturday in the southwestern Bushehr province for a number of female students, the provincial tourism chief has said

The event was organized to introduce and promote handicrafts as well as increase students' creativity in this field, Esmaeil Sajadimanesh explained on Sunday.

Back in March, a provincial tourism official announced that the handicrafts sector generated over 300 job opportunities in Bushehr province during the past Iranian calendar year 1400.

“A total of 349 new jobs were created for the province’s artisans and crafters in almost eleven months,” he explained.

Throughout the mentioned period, over 120 billion rials ($463,000) were paid in loans to the crafters practicing various fields of handicrafts including wickerwork, woodcarving, pottery, and woodturning, the official added.

All resources would be used to boost employment and support fellow artisans and craftsmen in the province to develop and grow their home-based businesses, he noted.

With over 6,000 years of history and significant monuments from the Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras, Bushehr is one of Iran’s most important historical centers.

Besides its cultural heritage, beautiful beaches and lush palm groves make it an attractive destination for world travelers.

The historical and architectural monuments of Bushehr include Islamic buildings like mosques and praying centers, mansions, old towers, castles, as well as gardens.

When it comes to cultural attractions, there are many historical mounds in Bushehr including Tall-e Khandaq with Sassanid architectural style, Tall-e Marv located near an Achaemenid Palace, and Qajar era Malek al-Tojar Mansion. Qajar-era Kazeruni Mansion, which has been inscribed on the World Heritage List, is another attraction that world travelers love to see among various ancient sites.

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.

In January 2020, the cities of Shiraz, Malayer, and Zanjan and the village of Qassemabad were designated by the WCC- Asia Pacific Region, putting Iran’s number of world crafts cities and villages from ten to 14.

The value of Iran’s handicraft 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.

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.

ABU/MG