On their two-day trip to Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province, members of the World Crafts Council’s board of directors evaluated the city’s potential in production of handwoven rugs and subsequently nominated the city for the “World Crafts City” title in 2015.
President of WCC Usha Krishna and president of WCC-Asia Pacific Region, Ghada Hijjawi, visited carpet halls of Tabriz Municipality and Tabriz Museum, ISNA reported.
Directly or indirectly, 500,000 people in Tabriz are involved in the rug business, according to head of Tabriz Handwoven Rug Producers Association, Esmaeil Chamani.
The official said the WCC delegation’s visit will help boost the global profile of Tabriz rug and help efforts to inscribe the craft on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The city’s handwoven carpet is unique in the world. It represents much of the city’s history and culture.
“In cooperation with the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department of East Azarbaijan, we are trying to inscribe Tabriz rugs on the World Heritage List as soon as possible,” Chamani said. “It is important to designate a day as handwoven rug day.”
He said the lack of a single entity to oversee the industry has hurt the craft and called for measures to remedy the situation.
“Proper management is essential to successfully promote and export the craft worldwide,” he said.
