Garabagh
Located in the south-west part of Azerbaijan, the Garabagh
Carpet Weaving School includes mountainous and lowland areas. From
the 10th century, Arabian historians Al-Mugaddasi, Masudi and others
wrote that the region was cotton and wool producing hub. The famous
Dutch artist Hans Memling (15th century) portrayed a Mughan-styled
carpet originating from Garabagh School on his “Madonna Enthroned”
painting.
From the 18th century, Shusha was the carpet weaving centre
of Garabagh. In 1750, the Ruler of the Garabagh khanate Panahali-khan
founded the town of Shusha called at first Panahabad. The Garabagh
carpets are distinguished with their large dimensions and consist of 5
pieces, the set called “dastkhali-gaba”. The reason for such size was
the spacious interior design of local residential premises with large and
slightly oblong rooms and halls.
Owing to the specific quality of local wool, the Garabagh carpets
are renowned by a very high, thick and fluffy pile which is as colorful and
picturesque as the nature of Garabagh itself. Apart from pile carpets, the
Garabagh Carpet Weaving School was famous for pileless carpets, such
as kilim, zili, verni, etc.