The city of Kashan in the central province of Isfahan was introduced to World Crafts Council as a candidate for recognition as the World City of Traditional Textile, said the head of the city’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department.
Speaking in an exclusive interview to Iran Daily, Mehran Sarmadian said that textile production has a long history in Kashan and a large number of workshops are active in the city.
“Kashan was selected as the National City of Traditional Textile in 2018,” he noted.
Sarmadian said that the discovery of woven fabrics in Sialk Hills of Kashan indicates that the history of Kashan’s textile industry dates back to fourth millennium BCE.
He praised the artisans involved in the production of various handicrafts in Kashan and said that 60 National Seal of Excellence and 16 international awards were presented to the handicraft artists of the city since March 2019.
He said that women of Kashan, in addition to doing housework, have been involved in the economic activities since ancient times, adding their contribution can still be seen in both the old and new sections of the city.
The official continued although a change in the lifestyle has led to a reduction in the number of women involving in the production of homemade crafts, many females are still active in the carpet weaving, embroidery, pottery and traditional jewellery workshops of Kashan.
The official said that more than 1,000 artists are working in the handicraft sector of the city, adding 70 types of handicrafts are being produced in the city.
“Given that handwoven carpets are produced under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade, the females employed in carpet-weaving workshops are not counted among the artists covered by Kashan’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department.
“Hundreds of carpet-weaving looms are presently in use throughout the city”, the official pointed out.
Sarmadian went on to say that the most important handicrafts of Kashan are pottery, seven-color tiles, moaraq (inlaid) tiles, copper crafts, shar bafi (weaving handmade fabric from silk), zari bafi (brocade weaving), makhmal bafi (velvet weaving), kilim weaving, giveh bafi (weaving a kind of soft, comfortable handwoven-top shoe), qalamzani (a type of metalworking art), traditional designing, moaraq kari (wood inlaying), monabat kari (wood carving), woodturning and making traditional musical instruments.
He said that yazdi bandi (a kind of interior dome decoration), traditional plastering, mirrorwork and brickwork are among the arts related to architecture in Kashan.
The official stated that a large number of the architectural crafts can be used in numerous historical buildings, which are under restoration in Kashan.
He added that handmade leather products, carved precious stones and traditional garments are among other handicrafts produced mostly by women in Kashan.
“Most handicrafts of Kashan are either sold to domestic and foreign tourists or manufactured as custom-made products for galleries located in various parts of the country.
