Shahrud’s handicraft sector is thriving
Shahrud, a city in the north-central province of Semnan, with an area of 41,000 sq.km, stretches from the southern slopes of Alborz mountain range to Dasht-e Kavir. A decrease in elevation from its northern to southern parts has helped create various types of climate and ecosystems.
More than 60 fields of handicrafts are produced in the city including pottery-making, textile weaving, precious and semi-precious stone cutting, namad-mali (felt-beating), as well as wood, leather and metal crafting, kilim-weaving, jajim-weaving and monabat-kari, chtn.ir wrote.
The skills of weaving wool and cotton fabrics in the city have been registered on Iran’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The largest number of textile weaving workshops are in Kalateh-ye Khij town, located 56km from Shahrud.
Pottery-making
The creative local potters use the rich soil of the region to produce various ceramic items. The city is known as one of the main hubs of pottery production. The lightest, largest and thinnest clay bricks of the world are among the works created by proficient Shahrudi artisans.
Kilim-weaving
Kilim is a type of thin handwoven floor covering. Nomadic women living in the region are among the most skilled kilim-weavers of the country. Thanks to the training courses held by Shahrud’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, the kilim-weaving craft has become very prevalent in the city in recent years. Ground looms are used by the city’s craftspeople for weaving traditional kilims. The kilims woven in the city feature designs inspired by nature, include animals, birds, black tents and geometric shapes.
Jajim-weaving
Jajim is among the most beautiful and colorful traditional textiles woven mostly in the mountainous parts of Shahrud. After spinning and dyeing the wool, the craftswomen, working mostly in traditional workshops of the region, weave the delicate patterned jajims, which are very famous in the region and country.
Monabat-kari
Monabat-kari craft is also very common in Shahrud and its surrounding areas. The artworks produced in the regions not only meet the demands of the domestic market but are also exported to various foreign countries. A number of master carvers living in Shahrud and a number of its villages make exquisite wood carved tableaus, which have many customers across the country and the world.
Namad-mali
Namad-mali (felt-beating) is the art of beating the interweaving wool fibers, with soap and water. Namad is a type of traditional fabric which is used as floor covering or shepherds’ clothing. Felt is a kind of textile that is made without the use of a loom. The craft has long been practiced in various cities of Semnan Province.