Streetside Business

Iran's economy has suffered several shocks since 1979, including war, isolation, new rulers after the Islamic revolution, and falling world oil prices. Iran estimates the total cost of the long war with Iraq to be about U.S.$350 billion. The manufacturing of carpets and rugs continues to have an important role in the economy, so much so that after several years Iran's fundamentalist Islamic government abandoned its policy of refusing to export rugs to what it called "corrupt Westerners."

Kazemi-Safie/Rea/SABA