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T o d a y ,m o re a n d m o re c o u n trie s a s s o c ia te fo lk a rt w ith h a n d ic ra ft. T h e y c re a te , th a t is , c o n te m p o ra ry h a n d ic ra ft b a s e d o n th e fo lk a rt o f th e c o u n try . In th is w a y , fo lk a rt is re v iv e d in to m o d e rn ite m s w h ic h , h o w e v e r, c o n ta in th e m a in c h a ra c te ris tic s o f e a c h a re a . S o m o d e rn h a n d ic ra fts a re b a s e d o n tra d itio n a l fo lk a rt b u t a t th e s a m e tim e a re fu n c tio n a l in m o d e rn life . T h e y a re o rig in a l, o f g o o d q u a lity , a re u s e d b y m o d e rn p e o p le a n d h a v e c o m m e rc ia l v a lu e . T h e C y p ru s H a n d ic ra ft S e rv ic e w a s s e t u p a fte r th e T u rk is h in v a s io n in o rd e r to p ro v id e e m p lo y m e n t fo r re fu g e e s fro m th e o c c u p ie d a re a s w h o h a d g re a t e x p e rie n c e in th e v a rio u s b ra n c h e s o f C y p rio t h a n d ic ra fts a n d fo lk a rt. T h e a im o f th e S e rv ic e , w h ic h is a tta c h e d to th e M in is try o f E n e rg y , C o m m e rc e , In d u s try a n d T o u ris m , w a s th e s y s te m a tic re v iv a l o f tra d itio n a l fo lk a rt o n th e b a s is o f m o d e rn h a n d ic ra fts. T h e C y p ru s H a n d ic ra ft S e rv ic e is h o u s e d a t th e H a n d ic ra ft C e n tre o n A th a la s s a A v e n u e in L e fk o s ia , w h e re e x p e rim e n ta l w o rk s h o p s a re c o n d u c te d in th e fie ld s o f e m b ro id e ry , w e a v in g , ta p e s try , w o o d w o rk , p o tte ry , m e ta l w o rk s a n d g e n e ra l h a n d ic ra fts , g a rm e n t m a k in g a n d le a th e r w o rk s. In th e s e w o rk s h o p s e x p e rim e n ta l s a m p le s a re m a d e u n d e r th e s u p e rv is io n o f s u ita b ly q u a lifie d p e rs o n n e l a n d a ls o tra in in g is c a rrie d o u t. E v e ry d a y m a n y to u ris ts a n d lo c a ls v is it th e w o rk s h o p s b e c a u s e th e y a re o f s p e c ia l in te re s t a n d k e e p o u r h e rita g e a liv e . A t th e H a n d ic ra ft C e n tre th e re a re a ls o a rc h iv e s a n d a n e x h ib itio n h a ll. T h e re is a ls o a s to re w h e re th e o b je c ts m a d e a t th e H a n d ic ra ft C e n tre a n d o n a p riv a te b a s is a re s o ld . A p a rt fro m th e H a n d ic ra ft C e n tre th e re a re a ls o s to re s in L e m e s o s a n d P a fo s a s w e ll a s p ro d u c tio n u n its a n d w o rk s h o p s in re fu g e e c a m p s a n d v a rio u s v illa g e s in C y p ru s.