Tabriz Bazaar Eyes Global Registration

Tabriz Bazaar Eyes Global Registration

The Tabriz Bazaar is in the process of being registered as a global heritage site.
Over the years, in addition to being the economic hub of the region, the bazaar was also a center of sociopolitical development in Azarbiajan and the country, especially during the Constitution Movement.
After several centuries, the bazaar continues to play an influential role in the regional economic, political, social and cultural domains.
Given its special features, since the beginning of the current Iranian year (started March 20) Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) has eyed the bazaar as a candidate for registration at the international level.
Deputy head of ICHHTO, Fariborz Dolatabadi said.
“Currently the case is being compiled. Concurrently, the files for Sheikh Safioddin Ardebili Complex and the historical texture of Yazd are also being compiled.“

Inception Unknown
The exact year of establishment of the bazaar is not known. However, writings of domestic and foreign tourists and historians such as Hamdollah Mostofi and Marco Polo suggest that the bazaar complex was originally built in the fourth century (AH).
An official of East Azarbaijan’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Department, Majid Chatr-Rouz referred to the renovation of the bazaar in the recent past and said, “The present-day bazaar belongs to the Zandieh era and was rebuilt after the devastating earthquake in 1193 (AH). The roofed bazaar complex covers an area of one square kilometer.“
He recalled that based on available statistics there are about 8,000 shops in the ancient bazaar.
“If we assume that at least two people work in each shop, the bazaar has direct job opportunities for 16,000 people and indirect employment opportunities for about 35,000 people,“ he noted.
He added that, “Based on available data, every day over 20,000 people visit the bazaar for purchasing or trading goods. Therefore, the bazaar is one of the most crowded in the world.“
It was registered as a national heritage in 1975.
Features
Tabriz Bazaar, in comparison with similar bazaars at the international level, has unique characteristics, which show the importance of its global registration.
Head of East Azarbaijan’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Department Torab Mohammadi said, “The historical bazaars in Iran and the rest of the world are no more an economic hub. But the Tabriz bazaar still remains an economic hub of the northwestern parts of the country.“
Chatr-Rouz referred to the architectural features of the bazaar and said, “Since the bazaar was expanded from the Zandieh era to Qajar period, it has a diverse architectural style. It is designed in such a manner that it is cool in the hot summers and warm in the winters.“
He recalled that in addition to being a major venue for commerce, the bazaar supplied the everyday needs of people in olden times.
“Existence of a historic bathhouse, mosque and school and other public places are sufficient proof to this effect.“

Protective Measures
Mohammadi said with the cooperation of his department and Tabriz Municipality it is expected that height of buildings which may harm the landscape of the bazaar will be lowered.
He emphasized that the bazaar should be immune from any kind of harm or damage that endanger its registration as a global heritage.
“Hence, no new permits have been issued for constructing buildings in the precincts of the bazaar,“ he noted.
The floor of the bazaar is being renovated and its irrigation system rebuilt for preparing the bazaar for the important registration.
There also have been reports about an agreement between Iran and Japan to improve the bazaar’s resistance to natural disaster.

CNN: Gabbeh Among Best Asian Films

CNN: Gabbeh Among Best Asian Films

CNN has included ’Gabbeh’ directed by Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf on its recently released list of the Best Asian Films of all Times.
’Gabbeh’ beautifully documents the lives of an almost extinct tribe of nomads, living in the remote steppes of southeastern Iran, Presstv said.
For these wandering families Gabbeh serves as both an artistic expression and an autobiographical record of their lives.
Makhmalbaf’s film tells a fictional love story, using an elderly couple’s ’Gabbeh’ as a magic story-telling device to weave the past and the present.
’Gabbeh’ has participated in over 50 international events and has received numerous awards, including the Tokyo Festival’s Best Artistic Film, and the Sitguess Festival’s Best Director and Special Critics Awards.
The CNN list also includes ’In the Mood for Love’ by Wong Kar-Wai,
’Infernal Affairs’ by Andrew Lau Wai-Keung and Alan Mak Siu-Fai, ’China: Still Life’ by Zhang Ke Jia and ’Mother India’ by Mehboob Khan.

85% of Bushehr Kilims Exported

85% of Bushehr Kilims Exported

Bushehr province annually produces about 3,500 square meters of kilims, a provincial official said.
Ahmad Dahar, deputy head of Bushehr Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department for handicrafts and traditional arts, also told CHN that kilim (a hand-woven rug) ranks second to gabbeh (a triple hand-knotted carpet/floor mat) in the province in terms of export.
Referring to the fact that more than 85 percent of Bushehr’s kilim are exported, Dahar said European countries, particularly Germany, are the main buyers of Bushehr’s kilim.
“Low production of Bushehr’s kilim is attributed to several parameters, including the scatteredness of the villages where kilim is produced and the high cost of equipment needed for its production,“ he said.
Dahar stated that Bushehr’s kilim is of premium quality.
“Nearly 120,000 square meters of gabbeh are produced annually in the province,“ he said.

Amatulli & Sons Opens Oriental Rug and Fine Furniture Store in Greenville/Spartunburg South Carolina- Asheville, North Carolina Area

Amatulli & Sons Opens Oriental Rug and Fine Furniture Store in Greenville/Spartunburg South Carolina- Asheville, North Carolina Area

Amatulli & Sons, LLC has opened a new Oriental Rug & Fine Furniture showroom in Greer, SC. The facility feature hand made rugs from Turkey, Iran (Persian), India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, China and the Balkans. There is also a selection of new and antique furniture from England & France - South, Central and East Asia - and the Americas.

Greer, SC, September 11, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Amatulli & Sons, LLC is celebrating the grand opening of their new Oriental Rug & Fine Furniture showroom in Greer at 1317 West Poinsett St. They commenced their move from New Canaan, CT in July, 2007 and after 12 truck loads of inventory the move was completed almost a year later in June 2008.

“It was quite an endeavor to pack, ship and resettle a business that has been up and running for over 40 years”, reports owner Richard Amatulli. “We’ve been planning the move since we first bought property in Landrum in 1998.”

Though new to the Upstate as full time residents the family has actually been in the area for more than 35 years. “We’ve considered investing here for a long time, becoming part of the local community and contributing to its growth,” says Mr. Amatulli. “Everyone from town officials to local merchants and local residents has been incredibly helpful in assisting in the transition.”

The husband and wife team of Richard and Mary Amatulli are joined by the middle of their three sons, John. He has been with the company full time for nearly 8 years contributing design and engineering experience gained from 9 years of post college experience as well as the knowledge gained from growing up in the home furnishings business.

The history of the company goes back to 1968 when Rich Amatulli while serving with NATO in Turkey formed a partnership to revitalize Turkey's rug industry. In the following 30 years of manufacturing integrated with wholesaling and retailing in the United States, the firm became the premiere source for Turkish rugs.

An 18-time winner of the Turkish Gold Medal for Exports, importing more than 80,000 Turkish rugs into the United States by 1987, the business expanded further including exquisite works from Iran (Persia), Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia and Egypt. In 1985 furniture was added to the repertoire, imported directly from France, England, and Asia, along with collections from domestic sources in the Americas. The company continued to import, wholesale and retail through the millennium shifting emphasis with market trends until the decision to focus on a new market in the Upstate of South Carolina and Western North Carolina.

Amatulli & Sons is open to the public and the trade Tuesday thru Saturday from 11am to 5pm or by special appointment. For more information visit their website at www.RugAuthority.com or call 864-879-1122.

Loyd Robert Whiteman and Warde Rose Whiteman celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary

in Flagstaff.
	Loyd and Warde Whiteman Loyd Robert Whiteman and Warde Rose Whiteman celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary on July 24, 2008 with a family gathering at their home. Loyd and Warde met in 1948 on Oahu, Hawaii. Loyd was serving in the US Navy and Warde lived in Honolulu and worked in her family's Persian and Oriental Rug business. They were married in that same year and later moved to the mainland, living in California and Oklahoma before setting in Arizona in 1961. Loyd worked as an independent truck driver for many years and later for the City of Phoenix, having retired in 1986. Warde worked for Salt River Project for 28 years, until her retirement in 1989. Together, they have traveled extensively throughout the US by RV, making many special friends along their journey. The couple have been an admirable and ste adfast couple, devoted to each other and their family, including son, Chance L. Whiteman and his wife, Barbara, and one daughter, Sharon Reeves and her husband George M. Lamberti, Jr. and grandsons Chance R. Whiteman, who is an elementary school teacher and assistant principal in the Valley and Joshua Reeves who, following in his grandfather's footsteps, is himself currently serving the U.S. Navy in Hawaii. The couple has been an enduring blessing to theirfamily and friends, as well as a shining example of how fortitude, devotion and love can forge truly exceptional lives. We all congratulate them on their 60 years of marriage.  Related topics: Oriental Rug Cleaning Austin