TEHRAN – An international webinar has recently put the spotlight on the wide-ranging handicrafts, tourist attractions, and cultural heritage existing across Iran’s Kerman province, a local official announced on Saturday. 

Participants from India, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Islamic Republic exchanged their views during the webinar, which was organized by Kerman Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Representative Office and Iranian embassies in the mentioned countries, CHTN quoted Kazem Hosseinzadeh, the deputy provincial tourism chief, as saying. 

Pateh, hand-woven kilim carpets, coppersmithing, precious and semi-precious gemstones, hand-made knives, and potteries were among handicrafts discussed in the session, the official added. 

Invitees also exchanged views on Shazdeh Garden in Mahan, Shahdad- a major part of the UNESCO-registered Lut desert, Meymand Village, and Bam Citadel as well as an array of historical qanats dotted across the semi-arid region. 

The UNESCO-tagged Bam and its Cultural Landscape is located on the southern edge of the Iranian high plateau, in Kerman Province, close to the Pakistan border. It’s highly regarded as an outstanding example of an ancient fortified settlement.

According to UNESCO, the origins of the citadel can be traced back to the Achaemenid period (6th to 4th centuries BC) and even beyond. The ensemble was on crossroads of important trade routes as well in its heyday sometime between the 7th to 11th centuries. The massive fortress and its environs were almost completely brought down to earth due to a devastating earthquake on December 26, 2003.

The big and sprawling Kerman province has been a cultural melting pot since antiquity, blending Persians with subcontinental tribe dwellers. It is home to myriad historical sites and scenic landscapes such as Bazaar-e Sartasari, Jabalieh Dome, Ganjali Khan Bathhouse, Malek Jameh Mosque, and Shahdad Desert to name a few.

ABU/AFM