Tabriz Leather

Man has since long learned about the possibility of using animal skin as a suitable raw material for making some useful products. After technical and scientific progress, leather tanning allowed man to transform perishable animal skin into a stable, lasting, and flexible natural material.

Leather and Its Uses

Leather is used in making clothes (coats, jackets, shoes, belts, and gloves) and accessories such as bags, purses, etc. The worldwide value of the leather trade is more than 500 billion dollars. Most of the world’s leather trade presently belongs to Italy and Turkey, but a considerable quantity of the raw materials used in leather product factories of these countries are Iranian animal skins.

There are several major centers for the production of leather and leather products in Iran, of which Tabriz is one of the most outstanding ones. Tabriz leather is known as one of the best types of leather in Iran and the world, and its products, especially Tabriz leather shoes, have an ancient history. Tabriz leather shoes were inscribed on Iran’s intangible national heritage in the year 2018.

History of Leather Production in Iran

The traditional art of leather making is called “Sarraji” in Persian. Iranian leather has been used in the production of bags, shoes, belts, ornamental goods, horse saddles, etc. since the distant past. Some historical documents show that Iran’s leather industry was prosperous after the Mongol invasion (13th century), and cities such as Tabriz and Shiraz were the leaders in this industry in that era.

Tabriz leather had maintained its position in the later periods and was in great demand in such countries as Russia, the Ottoman Empire, and India. It is probably for this reason that among the cities of Iran, the first leather factory was established in Tabriz in 1929 AD. According to some historians, at that time Tabriz was the largest market of shoes and leather bags in the world.

After Tabriz, cities such as Hamedan, Tehran, and Isfahan also have similar factories. Despite the expansion of the leather industry in Iran since the beginning of the 20th century, Tabriz leather has maintained its position. Presently, nearly 40% of Iran’s leather shoes are produced in Tabriz. This city is also one of the main production bases of other leather products in Iran, and houses about five thousand workshops active in this field.

Features of Tabriz Leather

Despite the fact that today the production of leather products is done with industrial methods, traditional production workshops are still active in Tabriz. Tabriz leather products are famous for their smoothness, durability, and comfort. Tabriz leather is usually obtained from the skins of animals around this city and is of good quality. Experts believe that livestock grazing in natural fields and living in the climate of the Azarbaijan region, which has the least amount of pollution, increases the quality of their skin, which is used in making leather. Accordingly, among the entire region of Azarbaijan, the leather obtained from the livestock of the Mughan region is the best and most excellent type of leather.

Although there are suitable raw materials for the expansion of the leather industry and the production of leather products in the Azarbaijan region, the lack of infrastructure and investment has fueled the export of raw hides. In Tabriz, all kinds of leather including the ones made of buffalo sheep, cow, and goat skin are used to make a variety of leather products.

Tabriz full leather shoes are known as one of the important products of the leather industry in this city. In addition to being comfortable, this type of shoe has good resistance against strikes and is known as one of the most durable types of shoes. Unlike today’s shoes, which are obtained with materials obtained from chemical processes, Tabriz full leather shoes have a good compatibility with the skin of the feet. This type of shoe can be considered one of the best travel souvenirs of any tourist because it is a functional, stylish, and very durable product! The big shoe and leather market of Tabriz, which is located in the middle of this city, is a good place to visit and buy leather products of this city.

Tabriz leather is known as one of the best types of leather in Iran and the world, and its products, especially Tabriz leather shoes, have an ancient history. Tabriz leather shoes were inscribed on Iran’s intangible national heritage in the year 2018.