From the ancient times, favorable natural conditions in Azerbaijan
contributed to the development of local carpet weaving. Archaeological
findings and written sources demonstrate that as early as in the 2nd
Millennium B.C. various fine items of carpet fabric were produced on the
territory of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was the centre of carpet weaving in
the Caucasus. As much as 90 percent of patterns used in the Caucasian
carpets were invented by Azerbaijani weavers. Azerbaijan carpets were
popular not only in the East, but also in the West. Examples of such
carpets were depicted on the Oriental miniatures of the 14th -15th
centuries and on masterpieces of the Renaissance painters. Patterns of
these carpets fascinated many Italian, Dutch and Flemish painters of
the Mediaeval Ages, among which were Hans Memling, Carlo Crivelli,
Thomas de Keyser, etc. During centuries, Azerbaijan weavers developed
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carpet weaving schools: Guba, Baku, Shirvan, Ganja, Gazakh, Garabagh,
Nakhchivan and Tabriz. The most striking examples of carpets are stored
at the State Museum of Azerbaijan Carpet and Applied Art. The present
catalogue demonstrates carpets from the Museum’s collection.
The Traditional Art of Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving was inscribed
on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity on November 16, 2010.