TEHRAN – Hormozgan province is home to over 85,000 craftspeople who have inherited ancient skills from their ancestors.

Situated in the south of Iran, on the coasts of the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman, Hormozgan has long been somewhat of a living museum of handicrafts.

Speaking to IRNA, on Sunday, Hormozgan’s Director-General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts stated that currently, more than 85,000 licensed artisans are actively engaged in handicrafts production across the province.

Mohammad Mohseni added that these craftspeople are mostly active in fields such as Golabton-Duzi [a type of embroidery], needlework, rug weaving, marine crafts, and pottery.

Pointing to one of the most important agendas in the field of handicrafts provincewide, the official mentioned supporting artisans' productions and registering the ownership of their works.

“During the past year, 23 works by 19 artists from the province obtained the national authenticity seal,” Mohseni noted, “also two works in the field of traditional embroidery received the distinguished handicrafts award.”

Earlier this week, the official announced that an exhibition, showcasing handicrafts and cultural-tourism capabilities of Hormozgan, would be held in Bandar Abbas in the upcoming autumn as part of the joint session between Iran and Qatar.

Focusing on enhancing cooperation and synergy with neighboring countries, this joint exhibition is in line with prioritizing the handicrafts industry, Mohseni outlined.

“Being held for the first time in the province,” the official added, “the exhibition provides an opportunity to showcase the tourism and handicraft potential of the province to neighboring countries, with whom we share many cultural affinities and commonalities.”

Mohseni also emphasized that the exhibition is planned to facilitate the connection between provincial artisans and a network of regional buyers and customers.

The official in his concluding remarks stated that organizing this exhibition will not only create a suitable opportunity to assess the status of handicraft exports but also provide conditions for presenting the provincial capacities in the field of exports.