Until recently, there were locksmith shops in almost all markets in the Iranian market. The need for security, like the rest of the world, played a major role in expanding the locking business for marketing in Iran. However, security was not the only reason for this industry in Iranian market,
locking was also a factor in meeting the Iranian spiritual needs.
With the advent of widespread social and economic developments in Iranian market over the past century, the manual locking industry almost disappeared and replaced by its mechanical and import locks. Most of the current locksmith's work is limited to fixing locks or making keys nowadays.
The same applies to using the lock for other purposes. It will not come too late that in Iran, like in Western countries, the lock will only be a safety feature and will lose its meanings and other uses. Some of our information about the role of locks and locksmiths in traditional Iranian culture over marketing in Iran is the result of subjective and oral information of the elderly and is the result of visiting and meeting the latest locksmiths in Iranian market.
Locking business
One of the most important industries over Iranian market from the past was the locking business, and practicing it needed skill and expertise. In almost all markets in Iran, there was a section dedicated to locksmiths that included workshops. The order of locksmiths in these markets has been gradually eliminated, and there is nothing left of them at this time except for the names and signs. Our acquaintance with locksmith came during our review after 1345. For this purpose, we traveled to different regions of Iran and managed to meet the latest survivors of the class in their cities and villages. The following report is the result of these trips, which took place during a seven-year period between 1345 and 1352. During these trips we’ve realized that the locksmith's occupation has been lost in large towns and villages. In large markets such as the Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz and Tehran markets, which once held tens and hundreds of locksmiths, there is no longer anyone left in the job, and if there is still work left to fix the lock or make key for marketing in Iran. But in some villages we’ve met locksmiths; one of these villages was more challenging than Bakhtiari.
The most challenging area is 6 km from the city of Khorasan, the capital of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari province. This village was once the focal point for locksmiths, while in the early 1350s only three locksmiths lived, all three aged over 60. Two of these three locksmiths were almost disabled and dropped out of business, but one of them, Professor Taghi Nikzad, continued to work with locksmiths. According to locksmiths, more than 30 people were more challenging than the 20 years before (in the 1330s).
Major Hossein, who spoke in the early 14th century in the world, said: Professor Hussein himself was a student of Professor Abdullah who, in addition to locating with other industries such as guns, architecture and carpentry, was familiar with. His students, Abdullah, say that he and his six friends had gone to Mecca when they went to Mecca for pilgrimage to the house of God. The professor was locked up for his livelihood and his fellows, making a lot of success in his work and making locks for marketing in Iran by the order of the international costumers.
He was even honored to receive a lock order in the Kaaba. During this one-year stay, Professor Abdullah provided Mecca with its expenses, his friends, and the cost of returning to the more challenging, pre-locked orders. Lockout number 388 has a sign (Hussein), which is sealed three times on its ricochet. Hussein was the student of Abdullah.
Locks No. 386, on which gold has been tied up, is likely to come from Professor Abdullah. This lock is very similar to the lock of the door of the holy shrine of Reza (AS), which is also attributed to the same teacher.
We found a locker in Shiraz, which improved lock and key. At the age of fifteen, he became a student of a locksmith in front of the shrine of the Shah, pointing out that at that time the center was a locksmith center, but today there is not even one of them left.
The locksmith remained in the locksmith market in Hamadan out of Iranian market. According to Professor Pierre Locker, after the Second World War, he had no longer locked and was living on lock repairing.
According to Zanjani locksmiths, in the late thirteenth century there were three hundred locksmiths in Iranian market, and the product of these locksmiths has been put up for sale to other parts of Iran out of marketing in Iran. But with the record of locksmith's work, the owners of the profession gradually turned to other disciplines, including making knives, scissors, and such.
Another important and most recent locating facility in Kandest was near Kermanshah. The locksmiths were especially famous for making Iron locks. In 1348, we’ve became acquainted with one of the last locksmiths in the name of Professor Ibrahim. A few years after we went back to city, he was at the age of 90, and the rest of the locksmiths also needed to make the required items for marketing in Iran.