TEHRAN – Assessors from the World Crafts Council have recently described Rashti-duzi as one of the world’s exceptional crafts after they visited Rasht, an ancient city in northern Iran.

WCC assessors arrived in Rasht on Sunday to evaluate the city and its surroundings for their prestigious status during their three-day mission.

“While examining handicrafts of Rasht, we got acquainted with the art of Rashti-duzi, which in addition to color, design, and originality, its name is derived from this city itself, which is very attractive for evaluators,” IRNA quoted one of the WCC experts as saying on Tuesday.

Receiving the title of “world city of handicrafts” will help us to preserve our ancient crafts for the next generation, a local official said.

“The evaluators of the World Crafts Council are requested to confirm the great history and antiquity of Rasht and pay attention to the background of this city in terms of handicrafts,” the official explained.

On Monday, Vali Jahani, who is the tourism chief of Gilan province, said Rasht is now one step closer to being recognized as a world city of handicrafts, a status given by the World Crafts Council.

Rashti-duzi is a crochet and sewing work traditionally practiced in Rasht and its surrounding villages. Crochet and needlework were combined by the masters to enhance the beauty of their products, resulting in very elegant patterns.

According to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Iran has the most cities and towns registered with the World Crafts Council (WCC), followed by China with seven, Chile with four, and India with three designated ones.

The value of Iran’s handicrafts exports stood at $400 million during the first ten months of the current Iranian calendar year 1401 (Mar. 21, 2022– Jan. 20, 2023), Maryam Jalali Dehkordi, the deputy tourism minister, said on Saturday. Compared with the same period a year earlier, the figure represents some 30 percent growth, she said.

The Islamic Republic exported some $320 million worth of handicrafts during the past Iranian year (1400), Jalali Dehkordi stated.

Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, the United States, and the coastal states of the Persian Gulf are among the countries that traditionally import ceramics, porcelain, hand-woven clothing, personal jewelry, and semi-precious stones from Iran.

AFM