Member states of the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) displayed their carpet arts, including Pakistani carpet designs, during the ECO regional exhibition of carpet arts held in Tehran. 

Besides the carpet exhibition, a parallel workshop on the art of old carpet restoration was also inaugurated on the occasion, according to a press release from Tehran on Saturday. While inaugurating the exhibition, President of Economic Cultural Institute (ECI) Tehran, Saad S Khan, emphasised that carpet is the most ancient of all regional art common across the regional countries.

Meanwhile, professors and scholars speaking on the occasion talked about the common heritage of carpet designs in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and other ECO members. Khan added that Turkmenistan even holds Carpet Day each year as a national state holiday.

The scholars highlighted the cultural significance of carpets as a cultural symbol, carpets’ role in hospitality in traditional homes and the importance of carpet weaving as a form of livelihood. Experts explained various techniques for restoring old, worn out or torn carpets, up to a century old, which can be restored to appear as good as new.

The ceremony was followed by a widely attended exhibition at the ECI Art Gallery in Tehran of hand-made unique carpets from the countries of the region, including Pakistan. There was a live demonstration of carpet restoration being done by artisans. Thousands of visitors from across ECO countries are expected to visit this year’s ongoing carpet exhibition.

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