TEHRAN-- A collection of picked handmade art work made by Iranian craftsmens and craftspeople is presently on show at the 7th edition of the Fajr handicrafts festival, which officially opened to the public on Wednesday at the National Museum of Iran in downtown Tehran.The opening event was participated in by Maryam Jalali and Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, who are respectively deputies for handicrafts and tourism at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, and a number of cultural and tourism authorities along with the museums director Jebrael Nokandeh, Mehr reported on Friday.

In addition to the chosen craftsmens, s section of the festival is likewise devoted to showcasing works by the veterans and leading masters in the handicrafts sector, the report included.

The celebration will concern an end on February 23 at Tehrans Milad Tower.Earlier this month, Jalali said that cultural heritage and tourism can gain from handicrafts and this celebration because handicrafts become part of a countrys roots and creativity.

With 14 entries, Iran ranks first internationally for the variety of cities and villages signed up by the World Crafts Council, as China with seven entries, Chile with 4, and India with 3 ones come next.

For instance, Shiraz is called a world city of [ diverse] handicrafts , Malayer is a worldwide hub for woodcarving and carved-wood furniture, while Zanjan has gained the title of a world city of filigree.

In addition, the ancient city of Shiraz has been picked to host the 39th General Assembly of the World Crafts Council-Asia Pacific Region (WCC-APR) in May 2023.

Shiraz has an amazing amount of handicraft pioneers.

With a typical age of 70, some of these leaders are still active in their workshops.

The occupational records of about 100 leaders are gathered and are each year applauded by the custodians of the WCC General Office.ABU/ AM