TEHRAN (Iran News) –Head of Association of Handmade Carpet Sellers says Iran’s hand-woven carpet exports declined by 85% last year, adding that foreign customers of Iranian carpets have decreased.

Speaking to ILNA, Masoud Sepehrzad said that the demand for Iranian hand-woven carpets abroad has declined because the fluctuation of the fore price has led to the rise in the final price of the carpet and it has almost doubled it. He added that for example once could buy some certain carpet for 1,000 dollars last year but he has to pay for it at least 3,000 dollars this year and this type of rise in the price of carpet is not logical and acceptable for foreign purchaser.

He went on to say that the devaluation of rial against dollar has affected the price of hand-woven carpets, adding that share of Iran’s daily sale of carpet in the international markets is decreasing day in day.

He went on to say that Nepal, India and Pakistan have replaced Iran in the international hand-woven carpet market, adding that decline is not limited only to the international market as the domestic market has faced recession because people can’t afford to buy Iranian carpet because of decline in purchasing power.

He also said that there ae some 12m carpet-weavers in the country that the number of weavers is on decline because of lack of support by the government and lack of insurance and for this reason condition for the weavers is not well but he cannot confirm that Iranian carpet-weavers leave the country to Turkey.

Sepehrzad added that to receive Iranian carpet place in the international market it needs a strong determination in all organs and it really needs strong determination of the establishment to help Iranian carpet to win back their position in the international market.

He also criticized the performance of the ministry of heritage and tourism for the way of presenting Iranian carpets in the museums and said that the ministry can preserve the carpets in the museum in a way that the carpets do not suffer damages.

He also rejected the claim over missing carpets from Saadabad Museum Carpets and said that those carpets have been transferred to Iran Carpet Museum and the former minister’s remarks on the worthliness of those carpets show his ignorance and cognizance.

He urged the ministry of heritage and tourism to work on displaying and promoting Iranian carpets which can boost hand-woven carpet industry in the country.