Woodturning is still alive
The old bazaar of Natanz is located near the Natanz Grand Mosque complex, which consisted of two parts: the pre-bazaar and the ridge of the bazaar.
The old neighborhood behind the bazaar is the central bazaar of Natanz, and occupations such as porcelain, textile weaving, locksmithing, carpentry, woodturning, quilting, knife making, and carpet weaving are common.
According to local informants, embroidery work was done until a few years ago, but today it leaves no answer to anyone who gets the address of embroiderers. Apparently, unlike other cities and provinces in Natanz, not a single person pursues this profession as a decorative work and handicraft.
Among the traditional occupations of Natanz, today we can see the activity of the latest generation of carpet weaving, woodturning and ceramics in Natanz. Carpets are still more or less woven in some villages and houses of Natanz, and due to loans and technical-vocational training, they are now in danger of being forgotten.
In the front row of the bazaar, which is the site of Natanz Bazaar on Thursday, fortunately, there are still three or four Woodturning shops with a very old view. Woodturning is one of the ancient arts of Natanz. Turners often use soft, slightly damp wood for this purpose. The art of woodturning is achieved by cutting and shaping wood by rotating the woodturning machine. Formerly, this woodturning machine consisted of a number of hand tools that were made and polished from wood. Around a working axis and using metal rods each are used to create a special depression or scratch.
Ghorban Ali Bamiri is one of the carpenters who has spent his whole life in this profession. He was born in 1319 and has been a carpenter for almost 50 years. My father’s job was Woodturning and I was his student for many years, but later I continued this profession myself. Of course, I was a student of many masters. Hussein Sharif, Ali Fakhreddini and Hussein Azimi, both of whom have gone to the mercy of God Who continues his father’s job in the same shop.
The job of woodturning is not popular among young people today, because it is a laborious job and has a low income. Apart from hookah, today in these few shops, with walnut wood, pear and sparrow tongue, the bases of tables and beds, handles and axes, spinning wheels and everything that can be made with wood are made.
Bamiri says: Natanz woodturning products market has been more than Qom, Kashan and Tehran for a long time and still is, but the market situation has no definition at all.
A little lower in the same category is another Woodturning, Mohammad Sanobari has been his father’s student since the age of 20, he is not satisfied when you talk to him, he also asks the authorities for more support for this job. I have always had problems with accommodation and shops. My shops burned down several years ago, but I could not do anything because I did not have heritage insurance, and unfortunately the then officials of the Cultural Heritage Office did not cooperate well with us.
We have repeatedly suggested that the county cultural heritage office introduce kharats to tourists who come to the Grand Mosque to welcome them to the Woodturning market; In this situation, continuing this job has become mandatory for those who entered the profession with interest, let alone the youth.
Unfortunately, Woodturning is on the verge of forgetting and joining the memories like other Natanz jobs.