With a vibrant display of handicrafts, international flavors and handmade treasures, Tehran’s Diplomatic Women’s Charity Bazaar offered visitors not only a colorful cultural experience, but also a warm sense of community. Women from different countries worked alongside Iranian artisans to transform the hall into a shared space for creativity, connection, and philanthropy.
Tehran’s Diplomatic Women Charity Bazaar has once again transformed the Diplomatic Club into a vibrant space full of colour, culture and craftsmanship. Organized by the Diplomatic Women’s Association of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, the event brought together Iranian artisans, women entrepreneurs, and representatives from more than 10 foreign embassies. The hall was lined with handmade crafts, clothing, jewelry, traditional foods, and cultural items, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience world cultures in a warm, community-driven environment.
The purpose of the bazaar is not just to display art. All proceeds go to charities, including support for families in need, hospitals, and non-profit organizations. Many embassies also contributed cultural products from their countries, turning the event into a shared space of creativity, generosity, and cross-cultural understanding.
Among the visitors was Malaysian Ambassador to Tehran, Khairy Omar, who toured the booth. During his visit, our correspondent Mair had the opportunity to talk to him about his impressions of the bazaar and the cultural connections it highlights.
Below is our full conversation.
How many times have you visited this exhibition? What are your impressions of this year?
If I remember correctly, I think this is the second time, and I think it’s a good opportunity not only for the diplomatic community in Tehran, but also for everyone who can make time to visit. It provides a great opportunity to walk around, explore and enjoy items and products from different countries around the world.
My advice to those who are interested is to come if you have time. The event is open to the public.
With so many countries participating, did you have a favorite pavilion?
I think it’s unfair to single out any country as the “best” one. All participants did a great job of presenting and showcasing what their country has to offer.
Events like this unite the international community, which is especially important at a time when there are so many conflicts around the world. At a time like this, I think we need events like this where everyone can come together and enjoy and appreciate each other’s culture and expertise.
This bazaar gives us time to forget about the difficulties surrounding us and enjoy the company and environment.
How do you assess the current level of cultural cooperation between Iran and Malaysia?
I think we are doing very well in terms of cooperation in the cultural field.
The Malaysian Embassy is planning to hold several events towards the end of this year. In fact, this weekend we are planning to perform an orchestral performance of Malaysian songs and a shadow puppet show. This is just the Malaysian version of shadow puppetry called wayang kulit. And of course, we hope that our Iranian friends will come and enjoy these performances. I think through performances like this we can understand each other better, and it’s very, very encouraging to see this happening in Tehran.
Interview by Marji Rahmani