Traditional Azerbaijani carpet weaving art

According to archaeological research and written sources, carpet weaving in Azerbaijan dates back to the Bronze Age; Herodotus, Claudius Aelianus, Xenophon and other historians wrote about it. Silk carpets of Azerbaijan were especially praised in the epic Kitabi Dada Gorgud.

In the 13th-14th centuries, many carpets and carpet products were exported from Azerbaijan to foreign countries. Fine ornaments and decorations attracted the attention of famous European artists and were depicted in their works. In the 15th century Dutch artist Hans Memling immortalised the “Shirvan” carpet in his painting “The Virgin Mary Nursing Her Child,” Jan Van Eyck painted the “Zeyve” carpet in his work “Holy Mary,” and German artist Hans Holbein included the “Gazakh” carpet in the “Ambassadors”.

In the second half of the 18th century, during the Khanates era, carpet production expanded further. Each khanate's own carpet production led to the development of various carpet schools. Baku, Guba, Gazakh, Shaki and other Azerbaijani carpets were exhibited at the “Moscow-Polytechnic” exhibition in Moscow in 1872, and in 1882, at the All-Russian Production and Art Exhibition, the best exhibits were awarded gold and silver medals. Most of the exhibits displayed at the international exhibitions held in Vienna in 1872, in Turin in 1911, and in London and Berlin in 1913 were carpets produced in Azerbaijan. The next period of carpet art development in Azerbaijan dates from the 20th century.

Azerbaijani carpets are divided into pile and pileless carpets in weaving technology. Pileless carpets are older and distinguished by different motifs and colourful tones. Pileless carpets are also called household carpets relating to the daily life and activities of the people. Carpets, such as palaz, jejim, kilim, shadda, verni, zili and sumakh are representative of the early period of carpet weaving.

Carpet weaving is closely linked to the daily life and traditions of this society, and these traditions are reflected in the design of the carpets. Girls sitting on the carpet sing traditional songs in Novruz (regional New Year). The carpet is widely used for home furnishings and decorations, laid down or hanging on the wall. Every Azerbaijanian has different carpets in his or her home. Special carpets are woven for every significant event such as medical treatments, wedding ceremonies, birthdays, childbirth, and various other rituals and worshipping.

The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum was created under the Decree No. 130 dated March 13, 1967 of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR. From 1967 to 1993, the museum was called the Azerbaijan State Museum of Carpet and Folk Applied Arts, from 1993 to 2014 - State Museum of Carpet and Applied Arts named after Latif Karimov, from 2014 to the present time the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum.

The 1st floor of the exposition concentrates on the development of Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving. Beginning with the simplest type of carpet hasir (woven mat from reeds or cane), it leads to the more technologically complex and perfect forms (palas, jejim, kilim, shadda, ladi, varni, zili, sumakh). Multimedia files help trace the evolution of carpet weaving. Monitors demonstrate the technique of creating each type of flat woven carpet. Displays include horizontal and vertical looms; weaving tools for shearing, washing, and combing wool; and implements for spinning and dyeing yarn. The exposition presents archaeological finds from different regions of Azerbaijan, confirming the ancient roots of the national craft of carpet making.