TEHRAN – Iran has taken the top position worldwide in the registration of handicraft cities and villages, with 17 internationally recognized sites, more than twice the number of its closest competitors, the director general for handicrafts education and promotion said.
 Narges Rajaei announced Iran’s leading position in the registration of world handicrafts cities and villages by the World Crafts Council (WCC).
She added that 31 countries have so far registered cities as world handicrafts centers in various fields, with Iran ranking first by a significant margin.
The director general said plans have begun to register Kerman as a “World Handicraft City.”
Rajaei noted that Kerman is already registered as a “National Handicrafts City.” She said that if the bid for international recognition succeeds, Iran’s lead over other countries will widen further, creating more opportunities to introduce the country’s handicraft capabilities internationally.
Rajaei stressed that the main objective of registering cities and villages at the national and international levels is to promote development and boost domestic and foreign tourism.
She added that plans have been made to implement development projects in various provinces, and a new list of nationally and internationally recognized cities and villages will be released once the registration process is completed.
According to published figures, Iran ranks first worldwide with 17 registered sites, followed by China with eight and Uzbekistan with seven.
Chile ranks fourth with six registrations, while India and Vietnam jointly occupy fifth place with four each. Other countries, including Thailand, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom and Indonesia, rank lower, reflecting Iran’s substantial handicrafts capacity compared with other nations.