Over $565,000 worth of handicrafts have been exported abroad from the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi during the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (started on March 21, 2015), a provincial official said on Sunday.

Deputy head of Khorasan Razavi Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department for traditional arts and crafts affairs, Mohammad Motie, said the leather and wood products, felt, textile, ceramic, glass , precious and semi-precious stones and traditional jewelry were among the major exported items.

Motie said the turquoise and agate ranked first in terms of exporting precious and semi-precious stones.

‘At least, 25,000 artists are working in several traditional arts and handicrafts centers in the province,’ the official added.

He said that out of 250 active handicrafts centers in Iran some 70 centers are placed in the Khorasan Razavi province.

IRNA
Nov 15