TEHRAN – Handicraft sales of Isfahan’s makeshift markets fetched some 40 billion rials ($80,000) during the Persian New Year (Noruz) holidays, which officially started on March 21.

“Total handicraft sales reached over 40 billion rials in Isfahan’s makeshift marketplaces set on the occasion of the Iranian new year,” the deputy provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

More than 10 million travelers arrived in Isfahan province during Noruz, Nourollah Abdollahi said.

Overall, museums, cultural sites, and other tourist destinations of the province draw some 6,300,000 sightseers during the period, the official stated.

Isfahan is sometimes referred to as the crown jewel of Iran’s handicraft industry, where its artisans do their best to safeguard know-how passed down from generation to generation.

Every day thousands of artisans go through time-honored routines to underpin the city’s reputation as a living museum of handicrafts.

Isfahan was once a crossroads of international trade and diplomacy in Iran and now it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations for good reasons. It has long been nicknamed as Nesf-e-Jahan, which is translated into “half the world”; meaning seeing it is relevant to see half the world.

From a touistic perspective, Isfahan is filled with many architectural wonders, such as unmatched Islamic buildings, bazaars, museums, Persian gardens, and tree-lined boulevards. It's a city for walking, getting lost in its mazing bazaars, dozing in beautiful gardens, and meeting people. The ancient city is renowned not only for the abundance of great historical bridges but also for its ‘life-giving river’, the Zayandeh-Rood, which has long bestowed the city an original beauty and fertility.

AFM