TEHRAN – Namad-mali (literally meaning felt beating), a handicraft field that was obsolete, has been revived in Deh Bahar Village, Tarom county in the northwestern Zanjan province, CHTN reported on Saturday.

Namad-mali was one of the main professions of the people in this region for many years, but it had been fallen into oblivion, provincial tourism chief Amir Arjmand said.

Reviving this field of handicraft will help the younger generation to use their creativity in producing modern and attractive felt products, he added.

Namad-mali is a traditional craft being practiced in Iran to make namad, a traditional rug, out of woolen fabrics by rolling and pressing them.

Zanjan is one of the cities founded by Sassanid King Ardashir I (180-242 CE). The province makes a base for wider explorations with the architectural wonder of Soltaniyeh, the subterranean delights of the Katale-Khor caves, colorful mountains, and the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleiman ruins are nearby.

In late January, Zanjan was designated as a “world city of filigree” by the World Crafts Council after the WCC assessors visited various craft workshops, stores, exhibits, and bazaars of the city in a two-day itinerary in last December.

Filigree consists of curling, twisting, or plaiting fine, pliable metal threads and soldering them at their points of contact with each other with a metal groundwork.

ABU/MG