Azerbaijan: A stunning nation where carpets are regarded as the pinnacle of artistic expression

For some, home is where the heart lies. In Azerbaijan, however, they say, 'xalçam harada, yurdum orada,' which means 'wherever my carpet is, that's my home.'

Azerbaijan’s bond with carpets is deeply rooted — a time-honored art form woven into its culture since the Bronze Age and carefully preserved over the centuries. Today, carpets remain an essential part of daily life.

Carpets are everywhere: adorning the walls and floors of homes and restaurants, piled outside souvenir shops, and draped over the hoods of rusty Ladas parked by the roadside. Some are created for special milestones: births, weddings, birthdays, and even funerals.

Weaving traditions are passed down through generations — with each carpet telling its own unique story. Their significance is so profound that in 2010, UNESCO recognized traditional Azerbaijani carpet weaving as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the carpet's iconic representation takes the form of a building strikingly shaped like a giant, partially rolled-up carpet, adorned with a golden geometric design. The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, conceived by Austrian architect Franz Janz, proudly stands along the city's bustling seaside promenade.

The museum spans three floors, showcasing a dazzling array of Azerbaijani carpets — from modern to traditional, flat-woven to pile, and from small to grandiose — alongside textiles, ceramics, jewelry, and traditional costumes. The collection of around 6,000 carpets, ranging from the 17th century to the present day, comes from diverse regions, from the Caspian Sea coast to the mountainous Karabakh.

The museum was founded in 1967 by the distinguished artist and carpet weaver Latif Karimov, who devoted his life to the art of Azerbaijani carpets. At its inception, it was the first museum of its kind. It has remained in its present location since 2014, continuing its role as a hub for research and education.

Just a short walk from the museum, in Baku’s UNESCO-listed Old City, lies Azerkhalcha, an organization committed to preserving the ancient art of carpet weaving and celebrating the women who dedicate their lives to it. One such woman is 61-year-old Sevinj Hajiyeva, who began learning the craft at the age of six, taught by her brother.

'Carpet weaving is more than an art form; it’s a deep passion, a source of love, and a lifelong companion,' Sevinj Hajiyeva shares with Dinogo. 'My greatest hope is to pass on this craft to the younger generation.' She explains that in Azerbaijan, weavers often express emotions and thoughts through their carpets, 'treating them as cherished creations, almost like their own children.'

Maleyka Abdullayeva and Najiba Panahova both work at the Azerkhalcha workshop in Ismayilli, a region in northern Azerbaijan. Maleyka has dedicated 30 years to the craft and views weaving not just as a skill but as 'a celebration of one of the world’s greatest beauties.' Meanwhile, Najiba was only 14 when her mother taught her to weave, and she quickly became entranced by 'the mesmerizing dance of loops.'

Exquisitely intricate

Looking back through history, Azerbaijani carpets have made their mark far beyond their borders. They were celebrated in the 'Book of Dede Korkut,' a text dating back to the 10th century, which is considered one of the oldest surviving works of Turkish literature.

It is said that the Arab traveler Al-Muqaddasi, who also lived in the 10th century, visited Azerbaijan and remarked that 'their carpets are unmatched in the world.' The importance of Azerbaijani carpets was also recognized by ancient Greek historians like Herodotus and Xenophon, as well as the renowned Italian explorer and writer Marco Polo, all of whom wrote about their significance.

Azerbaijan produces two main types of carpets: flat weave and pile weave. These are further categorized into four regional styles: Guba-Shirvan, Ganja-Gazakh, Karabakh, and Tabriz.

Most Azerbaijani carpets are made from the wool of lambs or sheep, while silk carpets are exclusively woven in Sheki, the country's only silk-producing region. The flat-weave carpets come in eight distinct types, based on their motifs, structure, weaving technique, and colors: palas, jejim, ladi, kilim, shadda, varni, zili, and soumak.

Among the most beloved types of carpets in Azerbaijan are kilim and soumak, both recognized for their bold, geometric patterns and flat weaving on a loom with warp threads. Of the two, kilim carpets are thinner and feature the same pattern on both sides.

Some of Azerbaijan’s most iconic ancient carpet designs include Pirabadil from Guba, Verneh from Karabakh, and Surakhani from Shirvan. The Ardabil Carpet, one of the oldest dated carpets in the world, is believed to have been crafted in Tabriz, a city in Iran’s East Azerbaijan Province where Azerbaijani is spoken.

Creating a carpet is an incredibly intricate and time-consuming process.

The process begins with rearing sheep for their wool, typically done in spring or autumn. The wool is then washed, spun, and dyed before being woven into yarn on either horizontal or vertical looms. In Azerbaijan, traditional dyeing methods remain the most popular, with dyes sourced from plants, fruits, and vegetables like red onions, saffron, pomegranate, and walnut shells. These ancient techniques have withstood the passage of time.

Challenging traditions

But it’s not all about preserving the past and rigid tradition. One Azerbaijani artist, Faig Ahmed, is celebrated for deconstructing conventional carpets, “corrupting” them with innovative three-dimensional patterns that blend traditional styles with bold, abstract, and even psychedelic designs.

Born in Sumqayit and now based in Baku, Ahmed has showcased his distinctive works around the globe, from New York and Paris to Mumbai and beyond.

He represented Azerbaijan at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and was a finalist for the Jameel Prize 3 at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2013.

It all began with a carpet handed down from his great-grandmother. As a young child, he became captivated by its detailed, vibrant patterns and the flaws that come with handcrafting. One day, he began cutting out these patterns. He may have ruined a cherished family heirloom, but it marked the beginning of an artist’s journey like no other.

“For me, as an Azerbaijani artist, the carpet represents a local artistic language that can convey universal themes,” Ahmed explains to Dinogo Travel. “In Azerbaijani culture, the carpet symbolizes a complex blend of history, tradition, social customs, religion, politics, and geography. It is a profound connection between Azerbaijan’s land and its culture.”

Carpets also hold deep significance in family life, according to Ahmed. In many villages, newlyweds receive a carpet as a symbol of their new life together. During traditional funerals, a special carpet with a central empty space (without patterns) is used to wrap the body.

Despite the abstract and distorted nature of his creations, the knots Faig uses are “exactly the same as those used thousands of years ago — just like the Pazyryk rug from Altai, which dates back 2,500 years,” he says.

“However, by incorporating intricate elements into this ancient weaving form, I must develop new techniques and methods,” Ahmed adds.

In Azerbaijan, the art of carpet weaving is so highly valued that it’s now taught in universities and colleges across the nation. The Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts in Baku, for instance, offers a bachelor’s degree in Decorative and Applied Arts with a focus on carpet weaving.

For visitors, carpet weaving workshops are available throughout the country, such as the Qadim Quba workshop in the northern Quba region. With figures like Faig Ahmed and Azerkhalcha blending age-old techniques with modern innovation, it’s clear that carpets will continue to play a vital role in Azerbaijani culture for generations to come.