TEHRAN - Handicrafts worth 31 billion tomans, equivalent to about $168,000 at the prevailing open-market exchange rate, were sold at stalls set up along the Arbaeen pilgrimage routes in six Iranian provinces, an official said.

Farzad Ojani, director general of marketing and commercialization at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts’ Deputy for Handicrafts and Traditional Arts, said 453 stalls were established at 37 strategic locations in Khuzestan, Kermanshah, West Azarbaijan, Kordestan, Ilam and Hamadan provinces.

A variety of traditional handicrafts, including kilims, gemstone cutting, traditional embroidery, fine woodwork, wooden products, Ehrami weaving, mat weaving, pottery and ceramics, were displayed at the stalls, Ojani said.

The official added that products were selected based on factors including consumer preferences, ease of transportation and resistance to damage, in an effort to improve their sales potential.

Ojani estimated that around two million pilgrims visited the stalls, particularly visitors from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Iraq.

He said the presence of pilgrims from different countries could help Iranian handicraft producers and officials identify consumer preferences in those markets and explore export opportunities.

Arbaeen, observed 40 days after Ashura, commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (A.S.), the third Imam of Shia Muslims and grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Millions of pilgrims travel to Karbala each year for the religious gathering, one of the world’s largest.

The US dollar was trading at around 185,000 tomans on Tehran’s open market at the time of writing.

AM