Lalejin

Lalejin is a small town north of Hamadan given over almost entirely to pottery: a very large share of the working population is involved in making, glazing, firing or selling ceramics, with workshops behind the shops and kilns throughout the town, and the main street is lined with hundreds of outlets selling everything from ordinary kitchenware to decorative pieces. The local style runs to turquoise and blue glazes over a pale body with incised or painted decoration, though the range has widened. Clay is dug locally. Many workshops let visitors watch throwing and glazing and some offer a turn at the wheel. The World Crafts Council named it a world city of pottery, and the trade has been the town's living for a very long time.

What to look for

• Workshops behind the shops - throwing, glazing and firing done on site.
• Turquoise and blue glazes - the colours the town is known for.
• Hundreds of outlets - the main street given over to ceramics.
• Kilns through the town - the firing that supports the whole economy.

When to go

April to October. Half a day. Weekday mornings, when the workshops are working; Fridays many are closed. Prices are lower here than in Tehran or Isfahan for the same pieces.

Practical notes

Much of what is sold is mass-produced and repetitive, and finding good work takes looking. Workshop visits depend on the owner's willingness. The town itself is plain. Packing fragile pieces for travel is your own problem.

Nearby

Hamadan is south; the Alvand mountains rise beyond it.