Souvenirs and handicrafts and traditional arts of Kashan

Kashan, one of the historical cities in central Iran, is renowned not only for its tourist attractions and historical sites but also for its handicrafts and souvenirs that you can purchase during your visit to this city. Among the most important handicrafts of Kashan are:

:Carpet Weaving

Iranian carpets, which are a great legacy of our rich culture, today manifest themselves in the lives of all human races and are considered one of the most valuable representatives of delicate human thoughts and one of the most delightful artistic phenomena. This delicate art is a summary of the rich tastes and creative talents of a group of artists in various artistic fields, and the coordination and precision of the weavers’ efforts create a beautiful and captivating pattern. As Professor Pop, an American, said, “Iranian carpets are a sign of poetic beauty throughout the world.”

Kashan carpets hold a special and unique place among handicrafts. The scent of its delightful flowers and the skillful hands of its artists add beauty to many museums around the world. The “Sheikh Safi” carpet, known as the “Ardabil Carpet,” belonging to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and woven in 1547, bears the signature of Master “Maqsud Kashani.” The famous “Hunting Ground” carpet, one of the largest carpets in the world, is woven in this city, along with dozens of other carpets that adorn the grand museums of the world with their beauty and grandeur.

:Poetry Weaving

Poetry weaving in Kashan is another highly valuable and beautiful handicraft of the Kashan region. Poetry weaving is a type of traditional fabric weaving made from natural fibers and animal hair. Poetry weaving means weaving with hair, specifically wool and silk. Currently, about 50 poetry weaving workshops are active in the old workshops of Kashan. At one time, poetry weaving was considered one of the most prosperous professions, and most workshops in this field were located in many of Kashan’s old neighborhoods, including Sarfereh, Sultan Mir Ahmad, Papak, Surijan, Taher and Mansour, Darb Fin, etc., some of which may be spending their last years, or even their last days of life. Poetry weaving fabrics produced in Kashan are mostly distributed in western and Kurdish regions of the country and come in various dimensions. Their designs are often simple, with black backgrounds and red and white motifs woven in. However, due to its simple texture, the origin of this type of weaving can be traced back much further than other fabrics.

:Velvet Weaving

“Velvet” is a type of fabric made of silk threads, very soft and delicate, with one side smooth and the other side covered with closely arranged and parallel fibers, giving it a “laid” appearance. Velvet weaving flourished during the Ilkhanid and Seljuk periods. After that, during the Safavid period, due to the great interest of the Safavid kings in handicrafts, it made remarkable progress, to the extent that this period is remembered as the “golden age of handicrafts and industries such as poetry weaving and velvet weaving.” The best fabrics created by Iranians are velvet. The shapes of these velvets are meticulously crafted and colored beautifully, indicating the evolution of technical mastery. The most important center for weaving this type of velvet was in Kashan in the late 10th and early 11th centuries AH. The velvets of this city have excelled in terms of color, pattern, and resemblance to calligraphic images.

:Zari Weaving

“Zari” is a type of fabric in which all or the flowers and lines are made of golden or silver threads. In another definition, zari is a completely silk fabric with various delicate patterns such as mythical animals, birds, hunting scenes, human faces, and Islamic motifs that emerge beautifully from the “golabetoon” thread, resulting in a very soft, delicate, and beautiful fabric. The fame of this art dates back to the Sassanid period when it was mainly used for the clothing of kings and nobles. This art made significant progress during the Safavid period, and Kashan was one of the cities where zari weaving flourished.

:Kashan Pottery

Most people associate pottery with Hamedan, but it must be acknowledged that the pottery industry in Kashan is also very prevalent and important. Pottery-making in Kashan dates back seven thousand years. This clearly indicates that pottery is considered the most important industry in this city. They discovered many pottery vessels in the ancient Silk Hill. This indicates that people in the past used pottery vessels for their daily lives. Today, when traveling to Kashan, you can find various types of pottery in different sizes and for various purposes.

Kilim

Kilim is one of the most important handicrafts of Iran. In the past, when people could not afford to weave carpets or carpet weaving was not economical for them, they would weave kilims and use them as underlays or rugs. Kilim is essentially handwoven and made from wool.

Marquetry

Marquetry is a delicate woodcraft, which is one of the newer arts of the city of Kashan. This art has a shorter history compared to other handicrafts of the region. However, the artistic works in Kashan are of high quality.

Tile

Kashan tile is one of the oldest handicrafts after pottery. In the past, these tiles were used in various buildings to cover walls and for decorations. Today, these tiles still have many fans, and you can see them in modern buildings as well. However, Kashan tiles are also sold as paintings today, which can be a good souvenir from Kashan.

Neshelchi Givah

Another famous handicraft is the Neshelchi Givah shoe. Givah is like a traditional shoe. This particular givah is made in a village of the same name. Neshelch village is located 45 kilometers from Kashan on the Kashan to Meshed Ardehal road. The materials used to make this givah are linen fabric, katira, and cowhide. Usually, this type changes with the increase or decrease of the fabric threads.

Zilou

“Zilou” is a type of underlay and rug made from wool and cotton threads woven in various colors. The weaving machine for zilou is called “Dar,” which stands upright like a carpet weaving machine. Zilou weaving in Iran has a long history, and its origin can be traced back to the early Islamic centuries. The most important center of zilou weaving is in the neighborhood of “Pasht-e Mashhad” in Kashan. Previously, there were over a hundred zilou weaving machines in various workshops in this neighborhood and other areas, and the zilous produced by them have sold to all the pilgrimage sites, shrines, and blessed places of the Imams and holy sites. Kashani artisans with taste and talent have been able to create zilous with their various and innovative designs and colors. The patterns used in “zilou” are the product of the creative minds of its weavers, created by mixing geometric lines and angles. Along the edges of zilous, Kufic and Thuluth lines, Quranic verses, the place of dedication, the names of weavers, and the date and place of its weaving are engraved. One of the characteristics of zilou is its cooling effect and heat dissipation, which is why the people of Kashan used zilou in the scorching heat of the desert.

Copperware

The copperware industry has been prevalent in Kashan for centuries. The construction of the copper market, which is now connected to the main market, used to be outside the city to prevent its loud noise from bothering people. The importance and fame of the art of copperware in Kashan were widespread in the fourth and fifth centuries AH.

Roses and Plants of Kashan

The name Kashan is associated with rosewater. Few people travel to Kashan and do not attend the rosewater festival. Rosewater production is one of the most important occupations that people are engaged in. There are many rose gardens around Kashan and its villages, which turn pink in the spring season. After picking the roses, rosewater is extracted from them through a process and is directly put up for sale. Ordibehesht is the season of rosewater production in Kashan. In addition to rose, various plants such as mint, cardamom, violet, etc., are present, and the same process is followed to obtain their essence.

Hajji Badam Kashan

Hajji Badam is one of the delicious and nutritious sweets of this city. Hajji Badam is made from almond powder, cardamom, powdered sugar, egg yolk, rosewater, and saffron. It is also abundantly available in the confectioneries of this city. Besides rosewater, Hajji Badam is the most important edible souvenir of Kashan.

Baghlava of Kashan

Another popular sweet of this city is Baghlava. Kashani citizens usually buy Baghlava on various occasions, from festivals and celebrations to mourning ceremonies. Baghlava comes in various types in the confectioneries of Kashan based on the number of nuts used in them (50% and 70%).

Kashan Pashmak (Cotton Candy)

Kashan Pashmak is one of the popular and famous delicacies of Kashan, which is used to entertain guests on various occasions such as Nowruz (Iranian New Year). Pashmak comes in small sizes, various shapes, and diverse flavors.

Qottab

When Iranians hear the word “Qottab,” they usually think of Yazd, but Kashan also has its famous Qottabs. Coconut, sugar, and ground almonds form the main ingredients of this delicious sweet. It is decorated with pistachios, powdered sugar, and cardamom powder.

Abbas Ali Bread

Abbas Ali Bread is a traditional bread made from flour, oil, sugar, milk, saffron, turmeric, and ginger. You can find this bread in all bakeries of the city during the first ten days of Muharram, and of course, at other times as well. The tradition of baking Abbas Ali Bread has been listed in the intangible cultural heritage of the country since June 2015.