Azernews.Az

By Aygul Salmanova

The art of carpet weaving, passed on from generation to generation, is an integral part of Azerbaijani culture and history.

For centuries, carpet weaving was one of the most massive and traditional kinds of applied art in Azerbaijan. The country’s best masters invested understanding of the beauty of the world and the philosophical perception of life in carpets.

Azerbaijani carpet, however, is more than just an item of beauty or a property for trade. The carpet weaving sector annually creates a range of employment opportunities, brings currency to the budget and also spreads the traditional Azerbaijani art and culture in the world.

Touching upon the carpet weaving art in Azerbaijan the chairman of the state-run Azerkhalcha Company Vidadi Muradov told Azernews that it has deep roots in Azerbaijan. “Azerbaijan is a carpet weaving country, and Azerbaijani carpet is a passport of the country,” he said.

“Today, we say that there are Azerbaijani carpets in world museums; there is almost no museum in the world that does not have our carpet. This shows that in past there were many carpets in Azerbaijan,” he said.

Muradov noted that the Azerkhalcha Manufacturing Association operated for 70 years during the Soviet era. During the early independence years the carpet weaving industry enfeebled.

“Therefore, customers in foreign markets could not see the Azerbaijani carpet for a while, and our carpets were forgotten. After being independent, however, we have further investigated carpet weaving, have found our roots, have investigated the carpet weaving tribes, where we have carpets and where we do not.”

Muradov noted that the Azharkhalsha Open Joint-Stock Company was established under the presidential decree On May 5, 2016. “The company’s aim was to export Azerbaijani carpets abroad, open new representative offices in foreign countries, create carpet shops in various parts of Azerbaijan,” he said.

He also said that almost all carpet weavers were women, great number of which were away from this job for about 20 years. He went on saying that organized training courses are held for these people where professional artists and masters taught them those and who passed the course received special certificates.

“The first branch of Azerkhalcha was opened on November 12, 2016 where about 80 women work. We attract young people so they can learn and be professional. Our plan is to increase the number of employees there to 150. Furthermore, there are 7 branches in the region the opening ceremonies of which have not been held yet, however, they are already operating,” the chairman of the company noted.

Muradov said that President Ilham Aliyev touched upon the creation of a new carpet weaving branches. These branches were planned to be established in the regions such as Lankaran, Shabran, Bilasuvar, Jabrayil refugees, Tartar, Goranboy, Kurdamir, Gobustan, Barda, Absheron and Nakhchivan, he noted.

Touching upon the spinning mill plant been constructed in Sumgait, Muradov noted that the plant would receive wool collected from regional wool stations of 5 regions, which would reduce the country’s dependence on imports.

The chairman of the company noted that there was a need to create these enterprises in order to preserve this art and pass it to future generations.

He also noted that the as the company was recently established it would start exporting Azerbaijani countries to foreign countries starting from the next year.

“We have already participated in a carpet exhibition in Germany last year. Additionally, at present we organize a carpet exhibition in Germany. We have been to many countries including America.”

Muradov noted that Azerbaijani carpets were in line with the country’s traditions and recreate the ancient carpets weaved by our ancestors.

Earlier President Aliyev expressed confidence that 2018 would be a remarkable year for industrial development.

"It is planned to open ten new carpet factories, so the number of carpet factories should reach 20 by the end of this year. This means thousands of jobs. Particularly, women are working in these factories. They are nice jobs created for women, where they can show their knowledge and talent, and create good financial opportunities for themselves and for our country,” he said.

He also noted that their products created wonderful opportunities for the country’s export potential and promotion of the Azerbaijani carpet in the world.

The state-run Azerkhalcha Company was established under the presidential decree in May 2016 to achieve these goals and also organize export of valuable Azerbaijani carpets to the world markets. Overall, the company plans to open up 10 plants throughout the country in 2017 and 20 more until 2019. Over 5,000 people will be permanently employed at the plants and absolute majority of them will be women.

Carpets occupy a preeminent place among all the examples of Azerbaijani craftsmanship. In 2010, the Azerbaijani carpet was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.

Ancient Azerbaijani carpets are stored at the White House, the U.S. State Department, and many other museums across the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Museum of Art in Philadelphia, as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

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