Persian Rugs Exhibition Starts Friday in Tehran

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 20, 2008--The 17th exhibition of hand-woven Persian rugs is to kick off Friday in an area of 20,000 square meters at Tehran International Fairground.

“At least 70 suppliers as well as customers from 35 American, European and Asian countries are expected to attend this exhibition," said Morteza Faraji, head of Iran National Carpet Center (INCC).

On the fourth day of the exhibition, a festival will be held to display the finest hand-woven carpets presented at the exhibition.

Iran is a leading exporter of hand-woven carpets. The country produces about 5 million square meters of carpets annually, of which 80 percent are sold in international markets.

Currently one million people are directly involved in Iran's carpet industry. The country earned $750 million from carpet exports in 2007.

The exhibition will run until Aug. 28.