Photos by Mohsen Rezaei, Mehr News Agency

The 19th edition of Persian Handmade Carpet Exhibition kicked off at the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds on Thursday.

Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi attended the opening ceremony, the Mehr News Agency reported.

Over 420 domestic firms have taken part in the event. Some 100 tradespersons from 60 countries have also been invited to the exhibition.

Iran exported $207 million worth of handmade carpets in the first five months of the current calendar year (started March 21, 2010).

The figure shows a 49.51 percent increase in terms of value and 49.37 percent rise in terms of volume in comparison to the same period previous year.

U.S.A, Germany, the UAE, Japan and Qatar are the main destinations for Iranian handmade carpets.

The director of Iran National Carpet Center, Faisal Mardasi, has expressed hope that the value of handmade carpet exports would reach $500 million by the end of the current year.

He said that by offering competitive prices, compared to Indian, Chinese and Pakistani carpets, and adjusting the designs and colors of the carpets to global demand Iran could increase its share in international markets.

... Payvand News - 09/24/10 ... --