Iran plans to create a specialized craft town in Mashhad to expand the sector's export potential

Handicrafts worth 31 billion Tomans were sold on the Arba'in pilgrimage routes, equivalent to approximately $168,000 USD at the current open market exchange rate. This was reported by an official representative.

Farzad Ojani, General Manager of Marketing and Commercialization for the Deputy Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts for Crafts and Traditional Art, stated that 453 trade tents were set up in 37 key locations across six Iranian provinces. These provinces include Khuzestan, Kermanshah, West Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Isfahan, and Hamadan.

Various types of traditional crafts were displayed at these stands, such as kilims, faceted gemstones, traditional embroidery, fine woodworking, wooden products, Ehrami weaving, rug making, as well as ceramics and pottery. According to Ojani, the products were selected based on factors such as consumer preferences, ease of transportation, and resistance to damage, with the aim of increasing their market potential.

Ojani calculated that about two million pilgrims visited these tents, with a significant portion of visitors coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Iraq. He noted that the presence of pilgrims from different countries can help Iranian producers and officials understand consumer preferences in these markets and explore export opportunities.

Arba'in, which is observed 40 days after Ashura, commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Imam of Shia Islam and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Millions of pilgrims travel to Karbala every year to participate in this religious gathering, which is one of the largest in the world. At the time of writing, the US dollar traded on the Tehran open market at approximately 185,000 Tomans.

Modj Bafi is a unique tradition of hand weaving deeply rooted in the lifestyle of nomadic and rural communities in western Iran. This tradition demonstrates the pastoral economy, local textile knowledge, and artistic heritage of the region.

Modj textiles are made primarily from hand-spun wool. They are characterized by bright geometric patterns, rich colors, and ancient weaving methods passed down through generations. Modj, sometimes called Jajim, is a woolen item with large checkered and geometric motifs. Its foundation consists of threads entirely made from wool obtained from sheep kept by nomadic and rural residents. The weaving is done on a simple traditional loom known as Chahar Verdi, which closely links the craft to the self-sufficient way of life of communities in the Zagros region.

According to Farzad Sharifi, CEO of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Crafts of Ilam, Modj Bafi is one of the authentic crafts of the Kurdish regions of western Iran and has long accompanied the daily life of nomadic and rural communities. The traditional color palette of Modj includes dark blue, blue, yellow, and red. The combination of these shades with geometric ornaments gives the textile a unique visual character, reflecting the aesthetic preferences of Iranian weaving traditions.

From Daily Necessity to Craft

Historically, Modj weaving was closely tied to household chores and was not viewed solely as an artistic activity. In predominantly self-sufficient nomadic and rural families, making coverings was an important pastime that gradually evolved into a traditional domestic craft. The availability of wool became one of the key reasons for the flourishing of this craft in pastoral communities, as sheep provided the main raw material, and the loom itself was relatively simple and could be used at home.

Although weaving can occur throughout the year, production traditionally ramps up from late spring to early winter. The complexity of the item directly affects the time and effort required. Traditionally, Modj weavers produce two main types of items. The first is Sajade, or prayer rug, which is usually about 100 by 150 centimeters. The second is the Modj blanket, which is often made to order.

A traditional blanket consists of four woven sections, each typically reaching two meters in length. The width of each section varies approximately from 45 to 75 centimeters, largely depending on the thickness of the yarn used.

Measure of Skill in Every Shuttle

One of the distinguishing features of Modj Bafi is the relationship between the complexity of the patterns and the number of shuttles used during weaving. Among traditional weavers, the quality and skill of Modj textiles are partially assessed by the number of shuttles used simultaneously. Each color used in the pattern requires a separate shuttle, and the intersection points of different colors can also increase the number of shuttles involved. Consequently, items with more colors and more intricate motifs generally require greater precision, time, and effort. Thus, the number of shuttles serves not only as a technical feature of the weaving process but also as an unofficial indicator of the mastery, complexity, and value of the finished work.

For communities that have preserved this tradition, Modj is more than just fabric. It is a chronicle of traditional skills and rural life, transformed thread by thread into a textile that continues to connect the cultural heritage of the Zagros with contemporary viewers. The Zagros Mountains, stretching across Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey, have a total length of 1600 kilometers.