The export market, however, has fortunately strengthened the internal market let alone harming it because most export carpets are second hand. The Iranian carpet is not yet fully known and appreciated in the international market and great efforts are still needed world-wide to truly introduce the Iranian carpet to the world. Only then will be able to sell our carpets not at the present levels which is close to that of good machine- made carpets, but at prices at which best artistic master pieces are bougth and sold. Unfortunately in the present age of information when news and facts travel with the speed of light from one corner of the earth to another through satellites and other sophisticated electronic facilities, we don't even know the exact number of the people involved in Iran's carpet industry. In an official report, one of the authorities lately announce that this number was between five and eight millions.
Nobody seems to ask why such a large difference of three million people exists.
Furthermore, in a periodical issued by a major publication house, the same number was given as something between three and ten millions. One answer could be that the three million are directly involved in the production of the final product and the other seven million in the production of tools and materials needed for the work of the first three million people. In the final analysis, we must admit that we do not have exact figures regarding the number of people doing what work in Iran. In The Second Tehran Grand Carpet Exhibition held this year, and in which this number was given as 5-8 millions, the question least dealt with by the participants in the conference which went on alongside and as a part of the exhibition was that of the standard of living of the workers and their welfare. Next comes the people who finance the work, merchants, wholesalers, co-operatives, all the people involved in the buying and selling of the raw materials and the end product.