More than 80,000 tons of marble were extracted in the city of Khoy in West Azarbaijan Province in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started March 21), of which about 50,000 tons were exported to Turkey, the UK, China, Malaysia, Spain and Iraq.
“There are 37 active decorative stone mines in Khoy and Chaipareh (a county also in West Azarbaijan), from which over 300,000 tons of marble and travertine are extracted annually and sent to processing plants,” IRNA quoted Yahya Kazemi, head of Khoy’s Industries, Mining and Trade Organization as saying.
He estimated the city’s marble reserves at 24 million tons, which make it the largest marble producing city after Neiriz in Fars Province.
“Annually, over $4 million are generated through marble exports from Khoy,” he added.
In addition to marble and travertine, graphite, granite and copper mines have also been identified in Khoy.
