TEHRAN (Iran News) – Nowadays, Chinese carpet manufacturers are trying to take over the handmade carpet market of this Iranian “ art-industry ” by using the credit of Iranian merchants.

Ehsan Mohammadi, a designer and expert in the field of Iranian handicrafts, added: “Previously, countries such as China, Turkey, Afghanistan, despite copying the design of Iranian handmade carpets, have not been successful in the global market of this valuable Iranian art.”

He said: “Handmade carpets are the heritage of 2,500 years of Iran and the reason for the failure of others is that this “ art-industry ” flows in the blood of Iranian carpet weavers and is unattainable.

The Iranian designer emphasized that what makes the works of Iranian artists different from the productions of other countries is its originality, and he specified: From the producer of dye and yarn as raw materials to the designers and painters and finally the Iranian weaver, all of them are the inheritors of this irreplaceable art-industry from previous generations which  the most advanced educational centers in the world are not able to compete with this education from generation to generation.

The last circle completing the introduction of this original Iranian” art-industry ” to the world are well-known Iranian merchants who by offering Persian handmade carpets, really export the rich Iranian culture to the world.” He pointed out that Iranian merchants are known in the world markets for the values of Persian hand-woven carpets, and said: “These days, there is unpleasant news about the betrayal of some of these merchants to the most original and valuable Iranian art, which is unfortunate.” The economic activist and exporter of Iranian handicrafts said: “Unfortunately, some Iranian traders have joined their Chinese counterparts and export the handicrafts of this country, all of which have been copied, under the name of Persian carpet to other countries.”

He continued: “These traders have gained credit due to years of supply of Persian handmade carpets in export markets, and today they are abusing this credit to betray the first” art-industry “and the 2,500-year-old heritage of Iran. Mohammadi explained that he believes that after a while, this scam will be exposed and those Chinese copied carpet and handicrafts will be discredited.

He added: The Chinese produce duplicated carpets at a much lower price than Persian Carpet by using cheap labor and raw materials. The Iranian designer stressed that cheap prices are initially pleasing to the market: “But in the long run, exposing the fact that these carpets are not prestigious Persian Carpet will create a wave of mistrust against Iranian traders.”

He added: “Before it is too late and the credibility of our country’s first” art-industry ” is damaged, government officials and private sector activists must take a stand against this behavior and inform the target export markets of this scam. Mohammadi concluded: “Protecting the credibility of Persian Carpet is the duty of all Iranians and negligence in this regard is not forgivable.