TEHRAN - A photo exhibition highlighting the handicrafts, cultural heritage and social resilience of the southern Iranian city of Minab opened at Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts this week as part of National Handicrafts Week celebrations.

The exhibition, titled “Minab; The Warp and Weft of Resistance, the Patterns of Authenticity,” is being held at the ministry’s headquarters in Tehran and will remain open to visitors, researchers, artists and cultural activists until Aug. 19, according to the ministry.

The exhibition features documentary and artistic photographs depicting handicrafts and aspects of cultural life in Minab, a city in Hormozgan province. The displayed works focus on traditional crafts, local knowledge and cultural practices that have been passed down through generations.

According to organizers, the exhibition seeks to examine the relationship between art, collective memory and cultural identity. Images of woven mats, traditional textiles, pottery and other local handicrafts are presented as reflections of the region’s cultural heritage and historical continuity.

The ministry said the exhibition also highlights the role of handicrafts in preserving cultural knowledge and transmitting community traditions to future generations.

Organizers linked the exhibition to the historical memory of Minab, describing the city as both a cultural center and a place associated with recent tragedy.

The exhibition includes references to the deaths of schoolchildren in Minab during the opening phase of the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel earlier this year.

The Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab was struck on Feb. 28, resulting in the deaths of 168 people and injuries to at least 95 others. The school was hit on early hours of a recent war jointly launched by the United States and Israeli regime against Iran.

The exhibition also presents handicrafts and cultural production as elements of social continuity in the aftermath of hardship, according to the ministry. It states that local communities have maintained traditional skills and cultural practices despite challenges faced by the region.

Organizers said the exhibition serves as a tribute to Minab’s residents and their efforts to preserve cultural identity through artistic expression and craftsmanship.

Minab, known for its handicrafts and traditional arts, is presented in the exhibition as a symbol of cultural continuity and identity within Iran’s broader heritage landscape.

AM