TEHRAN – A ‘house of handicrafts’, which according to cultural heritage officials is first of its kind in Alborz province, was officially inaugurated on Sunday in the city of Karaj, the capital of the northcentral Iranian province.

“The first house of handicrafts in Alborz province was inaugurated in a space of 600 square meters,” said Freydoun Mohammadi, the provincial tourism chief, CHTN reported.

The house of handicrafts will be running as a comprehensive and all-inclusive center for specialized training in various fields of art, marketing, and sale of products. And it will be also a forum for organizing festivals and exhibitions, etc, the official said.

“The center will be providing necessary facilities and infrastructures for the marketing, the supply of raw materials, and it will be organizing specialized training courses in 40 fields of Iranian handicrafts by experienced professors.”

Amongst other duties of the “house” are taking exams and presenting certificates, advertising campaigns, support for online sales, and special packaging for exports according to international standards, Mohammadi said. 

The handcarts house will create 250 direct jobs, he added.

With 14 entries, Iran ranks first globally for the number of cities and villages registered by the World Crafts Council, as China with seven entries, Chile with four, and India with three ones come next.

Alborz province is surrounded by Mazandaran, Tehran, Markazi, and Qazvin provinces. Its name is driven by the Alborz Mountains. A significant part of the mountains is located in the north part of the province. Historical resources and documents as well as archeological studies indicate that Alborz has a rich culture dating back to prehistoric times. 

AFM/