Tabriz registered as ‘World Carpet City’

The ancient city of Tabriz in northwestern province of East Azerbaijan was officially accredited with the title ‘World Carpet City’ by the World Crafts Council (WCC).

During a ceremony held in Tabriz on Tuesday, President of WCC-Asia Pacific Region Ghada Hijjawi-Qaddumi officially registered the Iranian city as a ‘Global Hand-Woven Rug City’.

The ceremony attended by Iran’s Head of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization Massoud Soltanifar and a number of provincial officials.

On September 5, World Crafts Council (WCC) had announced Isfahan and Tabriz as global cities of handicraft and carpet following the investigations and presence of some international experts in Iran.

Delegates from World Crafts Council had visited Isfahan and Tabriz in June and July 2015.

“The history of Tabriz rug dates back to days of yore, and many examples of this type of rug are found all over the world; however, with the breach of copyright laws in recent years, other countries captured the global rug market,” The director general of East Azarbaijan Cultural Heritage Department said,  adding that about 200,000 people make a living from carpet weaving and many of them belong to the lower socio-economic classes

“The global recognition of the industry will boost the influx of tourists to the province, bring many traders and businessmen to the industry and create opportunities for development of the province,” said Haqparast.

“To have Tabriz rug registered globally as the city’s brand name and major handicraft, we have held meetings with Dr. Hijjawi-Qaddumi and her entourage,” he added.

On Saturday, the ancient city of Isfahan was also officially accredited with the title ‘World Crafts City’ by WCC.

Isfahan and Tabriz are the only cities in Iran to be conferred the title for world cities of handicraft and carpet since the inception of the WCC in 1964.

(Photos by Kazem Yousefi, IRNA)

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