A museum provides background on Azerbaijani carpet weaving

Since ancient times, carpets have played a central role in Azerbaijani art and culture. UNESCO classified Azerbaijani carpets to its list of intangible cultural heritage of mankind in 2010 in recognition of their significance. The patterns on traditional Azeri carpets are unique to the many places where the art is practiced, and they have a rich texture.

Baku is home to the first carpet museum in the world. There are priceless rugs on show, while fragile pieces are stored in climate-controlled spaces for their safety.

The carpets, according to Azerbaijan’s Minister of Culture Anar Kerimov, are a representation of Azerbaijani culture.

“It is a legacy that we inherited from our ancestors and it has been passed from generation to generation for centuries. It is so dear and close to Azerbaijani people that you can find a carpet in every house and every family, making it a very significant and inseparable part of our lifestyle.”

The Carpet Museum’s director, Shirin Melikova, noted that the carpets are renowned for their designs, vibrant colors, and various weaving techniques.

“By the ornaments we can talk about different periods, all of them have a meaning, very deep meaning, and if you know this meaning, you can even read and find out very special features of each historical time.”

There are currently seven main schools of carpet weaving in Azerbaijan, each with its own distinctive designs and traditions.

“This carpet called “Resistance” was created in 2017. The main topic of the carpet is that black crows depict the society, and the orange crow is the personality. This personality resists the society,” artist, Chingiz Babayev, explained.

The museum serves as a venue for various exhibitions and conferences as well as a research, training, cultural, and educational center.

One of Baku’s most distinctive attractions is the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum.

“I work with tourists, and I always recommend the carpet museum because it is a very unusual building, inside and out. When you look at it from the outside, it is like a folded carpet, and inside I feel like I am back into my childhood, because I remembered my grandmother, and when I was waking up at her summer house, summer was the first thing that I saw,” Tatyana Ivashkevich, said