TEHRAN – The art of handcrafting Giveh, which is a lightweight and breathable footwear native to Iran, is flourishing in towns and villages of Zanjan province, a local tourism official has said.

"Weaving Giveh has never lost its traditional value in Zanjan province, and today many enthusiastic young men and women pursue this profession in the villages of Zanjan province,” Elnaz Khodaei added on Tuesday, CHTN reported.

“Each year, hundreds of people across the province are trained to weave the traditional footwear as home jobs… and for the time being, the craft is practiced by over 3,000 people in the province.”

Also called Kalash, particularly in western regions of the country, the footwear used to be very popular all over Iran till a couple of decades ago. It was originally intended to wear by men, however, in some regions, they are welcomed by women too in the hot summertime.

Giveh is usually made from carpet yarn, leather, and other raw materials so that it lets the air circulate from its tiny pores. Such shoes traditionally come in white color, but one can find them in red, blue, orange, and black as well.

In January 2020, 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.

Zanjan 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.

AFM