TEHRAN – A permanent market for handicrafts is planned to be established in the city of Kermanshah, the deputy provincial tourism chief has announced.

A budget of 10 billion rials ($238,000 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been allocated to launch the market, which aims at supporting crafters as well as promoting their handmade products, Hossein Veisi announced on Monday.

Three more handicrafts markets are also scheduled to be established in the cities of Sahneh, Ravansar, and Eslamabad-e-Gharb in the western province, the official added.

Kalash (lightweight traditional footwear also called Giveh), textile, door locks, musical instruments, woodwork, leatherwork, figurines, and rugs are among the highlights of the handicrafts produced in Kermanshah.

In late 2017, Marivan, a historical city in Kermanshah, officially celebrated being named a world crafts city for Kalash.

Handicrafts exports from the province reached some $15 million in the first nine months of the previous Iranian calendar year 1398(started March 21, 2019), showing 40 percent growth year on year.

About 60 fields of handicraft are practiced by nearly 13,000 artisans and crafters across the Kermanshah province according to the provincial tourism director Omid Qaderi.

Iran exported $523 million worth of handicrafts during the past calendar year 1398 (ended March 19). Of the figure, some $273 million worth of handicrafts were exported officially through customs, and about $250 million was earned via suitcase trade (allowed for customs-free and tax-free transfer) through various provinces, according to data provided 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