Yazd registered Global Heritage Site

Yazd
A Prize of History

The plan for registration of the historical texture of Yazd as global heritage was approved by provincial officials and Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said Head of Yazd ICHHTO Department Azizollah Seifi.
He added that Yazd governor-general, Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh and ICHHTO both have agreed that Yazd’s case must be sent to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization soon.
“ It must be noted that the large area of the historical texture, the overall conditions of the historical structure and the importance of the city in various eras are parameters that necessitate registration of the city’s old texture,“ CHN quoted him as saying. He noted that Yazd’s registration case is being finalized.
“Given its area of 743 hectares and that Yazd is the second ancient and historic city in the world, its registration at the international level is a necessity. Many Iranian and foreign tourists visit Yazd every year. Unique houses, the grand mosque, Amir Chaqmaq Complex and ancient markets are among the distinct features of the texture of the city,“ he pointed out.
Seifi emphasized that registration of Yazd as world heritage site will certainly have positive economic and cultural effects and will help boost tourism. He noted that eight Iranian sites have been registered as global heritage so far and Yazd is the ninth.
The official underlined that presenting innovative renovation plans (in line with the traditional architectural style), paying attention to handicrafts and transforming old houses to traditional hotels as well as renovating historical edifices, especially those which belong to the Qajar and Ilkhanid periods are moves which can improve the overall conditions of the texture.
Yazd is located to the east of Isfahan and south of Kavir-e Lout with a longitude of 54 degrees and 24 minutes and a latitude of 31 degrees and 25 minutes. Its altitude is 1,240 meters. The city is surrounded by mountains in its eastern, southern and northern parts. It is some 608 kilometers from Tehran and is accessible by bus, plane and train.
Yazd has been of great value since ancient times. Today, it is the center of attention of experts of tourism and oriental studies. The city is indeed the country’s economic hub which is located en route to Bandar Abbas and the strategic Persian Gulf.

Two million people engaged in carpet industry in Iran

Two million people engaged in carpet industry in Iran

Zahedan, March 11, IRNA

Iran-Handmade Carpets
Deputy Commerce Minister Morteza Faraji said on Tuesday that there are 2 million people engaged in producing hand-woven carpets in Iran.

Faraji who is also the chief of Iran's National Carpet Center told IRNA that five million square meters of hand-woven carpets are produced in the country annually.

Moreover, the hand-woven carpets valued at dlrs 450 million have been exported last year and the figure is predicted to be the same during the current year, Faraji said.

He added that a maximum loan of one billion rials would be granted to carpet producers to expand carpet industry.

Holding provincial carpet fairs, producing movies about Persian carpets and showing advertisements on foreign TV channels are among the important measures taken so far by Iran's National Carpet Center to introduce Iranian hand-woven carpets and encourage foreign countries to buy them, Faraji said.

Kish Carpet Fair April 29 - May 2 2008

Kish - Handmade Carpet International Exhibition

Following five successful handmade Persian carpet exhibitions which were held in Kish and brought together famous producers and exporters with their unique collections, the Exhibition Committee has decided to hold the sixth exhibition at an international level, with carpet producers and dealers participating from across the world. Kish Island will host the Exhibition from 29 April - 2 May 2008.

A Free Trade Zone and renowned tourism resort, Kish Island possesses 21,000 square meters of exhibition space and a wealth of experience in holding various events. The Island offers a calm and pleasant environment for exhibitions and business activities. Foreign nationals need no entry visa and foreign goods may be easily imported into the Island benefiting from low rates of customs tariff. These favourable factors provide other countries with a suitable opportunity to take part in the exhibitions held on Kish Island.

The present exhibition is expected to attract a large number of carpet producers and dealers from around the world including Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc. Exhibitors from these countries, along with Iranian carpet producers and exporters, will display a wide variety of handmade carpets and floor coverings

Moreover, handmade carpet dealers from other countries who are invited by the Exhibition Committee have a suitable opportunity to buy their requirements and desired collections. Also, a large number of visitors are expected to attend and buy from the Exhibition.

Confronting Iranian Stereotypes in the Movies

1.98 Trillion Rials For Carpet Industry

1.98 Trillion Rials For Carpet Industry
TEHRAN, March 11--Loans worth about 1.98 trillion rials have been allocated for projects with quick returns as well creating jobs in the hand-woven carpet industry, disclosed Deputy Commerce Minister for economic development Mehdi Ghazanfari.He further stated that about 75 billion rials have been earmarked for extending technical assistance to set up carpet weaving factories.He said that so far the head offices of banks are considering loan applications for establishing 78 carpet weaving factories and 251 raw material production units.The official said that 35,000 carpet weavers will be covered by insurance.Increasing export incentives from three to five percent, undertaking research on dye and design are among the other measures to promote the carpet industry, he noted.Ghazanfari added that efforts have been made to maintain and develop current markets through proper publicity campaign as well as to introduce Iranian rugs on leading TV channels.He added that the number of ships increased from 114 to 117 and agreements signed for the purchase of 33 container and cargo ships.The official added that about 5,115,047 tons of commodities were loaded for transporting through sea during the first nine months of the year to March 2007, up by 21 percent compared to the corresponding figure for the preceding year.Ghazanfari said that regular shipping lines have been expanded from the southern ports to Asian and European countries while weekly services are operating from Asia to Europe.

Iran’s Carpet Museum Faces Storage Crisis

Carpet Storage Facilities Inadequate
Director of Iran’s Carpet Museum has expressed concern about the conditions in which carpet are stored in the museum’s repository.Parviz Eskandarpour Khorrami told ISNA that poor storage facilities, including restricted space, will damage the carpets in the long run.“Present storage area of the museum is so limited that even nine carpets are stacked on top of each other. This will eventually damages the rugs,“ he said, calling for allocating more space for storing valuable carpets in the museum.He added that some carpets that have been maintained in limited storage places more than the normal period are being damaged by humidity. Referring to the transfer of carpets, he said that they are transported several times a year to international expositions and this has also speeded up the destruction process.Asked whether international politics have an impact on cultural relations, the official said although political relations can negatively influence cultural ties, international carpet expositions can serve as the best means to forge links among nations.Commenting on exhibiting carpets in the museum, he said that some old carpets should be carefully preserved. “Lighting system for carpets is appropriate. While advanced technologies are presented to market every year, our old Persian carpets are strong enough to resist lighting and not lose their luminosity and transparency,“ he said.