Iran is home to one million carpet weavers, 700,000 of whom are career weavers, according to the caretaker of Iran National Carpet Center, Hamid Kargar. “Our country sees the making of three million square meters of carpets and rugs every year, two-thirds of which are headed to 80 countries. The value and weight of Persian carpets exported in the year ending March 20, 2015, stood at around $330 million and 5,000 tons respectively,” IRNA quoted him as saying. Kargar made the remarks during a ceremony to mark the global registration of hand-woven Iranian Turkmen carpets by the World Intellectual Property Organization in Gorgan, Golestan Province on Wednesday. Also in attendance was the director of Industries, Mines and Trade Organization in Golestan, Hosseinali Qavanlou. Up until now, geographical indications of 10 Iranian regions active in carpet weaving have been globally registered, including Mashhad, Kashmar, Kashan, Kerman, Naein, Sarouq, Yazd, Ardabil, Golestan’s Turkmen and Hamadan, Qavanlou noted. WIPO is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations created in 1967 to encourage creative activity and promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world.
