Tehran Times - Construction of a permanent handicrafts marketplace officially began on Wednesday with a ground-breaking ceremony in the city of Sarbisheh, South Khorasan province, eastern Iran.

The ceremony was attended by governor general and several other provincial and local officials, CHTN reported.

“Covering 700 square meters, the marketplace will be constructed in close collaboration with the provincial tourism department and Sarbisheh Municipality,” provincial tourism chief, Hassan Ramezani said.

The marketplace will be dedicated to local artists and artisans to offer their products and souvenirs to the public, Ramezani added.

Sarbisheh is a gateway to Makhunik, a nearby mysterious village commonly known as Iran’s ‘Lilliput’. It was inhabited by people of very short stature until about a century ago. Currently, it is home to roughly 200 adobe dwellings, many of which are of exceptionally low height.

There are clusters of ancient vertical-axis windmills, which are locally known as Asbads, across the provinces of South Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, and Sistan-Baluchestan. It’s noteworthy to mention that Iran eyes to have them registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AFM/MG