Reviving Traditional Arts in Qaleh Bala Through Mat-Weaving and Kilim-Weaving Workshops

Seyed Mohammad-Sadegh Razvian said on Saturday, July 25, 2026, that, as part of the Shahrud Cultural Heritage Department’s efforts to preserve intangible cultural heritage and promote handicrafts, free mat-weaving and kilim-weaving workshops have been established at the Borina Women’s Tourism and Handicrafts Creative House in Qaleh Bala. Emphasizing the importance of passing traditional knowledge on to younger generations, the Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Shahrud County said the primary objective of these courses is to prevent the loss of authentic artistic skills and to pass the experience of skilled artisans on to the village’s women and young people. He added that reviving these endangered traditional arts can not only help preserve the region’s cultural identity but also create a foundation for sustainable livelihoods in rural communities. Referring to the strong response from local residents, he noted that participants are being introduced not only to basic techniques but also to the artistic details and distinctive motifs associated with the region. This knowledge will enable them to produce authentic, high-quality handicrafts in the future. Razvian concluded that hosting such programs at tourism and handicrafts creative houses represents an important step toward integrating villages into the active value chain of tourism and handicrafts. Such initiatives, he said, can have a direct and lasting impact on the economic and cultural vitality of Qaleh Bala.