Azerbaijani carpet

The rug trade in Ganja, Azerbaijan in the late 19th century.
Carpet manufacturing in Ganja in the early 20th century.

Azerbaijani carpet (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan xalçası) is a traditional carpet (rug) made in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani carpet is a handmade textile of various sizes, with a dense texture and a pile or pile-less surface, whose patterns are characteristic of Azerbaijan's many carpet-making regions. Traditionally, the carpets were used in Azerbaijan to cover floors, decorate interior walls, sofas, chairs, beds and tables.[1]

Carpet making is a family tradition transferred orally and through practice, with carpet making and rug making being solely a women's occupation. In the past, every young girl had to learn the art of weaving carpets, and the carpets she wove became a part of her dowry. In the case of a newly married son, it was his mother who wove a large rug for his new household. Traditionally, men sheared the sheep in the spring and autumn, while women collected dyestuffs and spun and dyed the yarn in the spring, summer and autumn.[1]

Peer-reviewed International Journal of Heritage Studies explains: "While it is difficult to find Azerbaijani carpet as a category on its own before the 1930s, Baku was known as a convenient place ‘for obtaining a constant and abundant supply of genuine article [Oriental carpets]’ (Coxon 1884, 2)."[2]

In November 2010, the Azerbaijani carpet was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.[1]

  1. ^ a b c "UNESCO - Traditional art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving in the Republic of Azerbaijan". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  2. ^ Mozaffari, Ali; Barry, James (2022). "Heritage and territorial disputes in the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict: a comparative analysis of the carpet museums of Baku and Shusha". International Journal of Heritage Studies. 28 (3): 325. doi:10.1080/13527258.2021.1993965. hdl:10536/DRO/DU:30158379.