Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

Read more

The International Carpet Festival 2026, which took place on May 1-3, jointly organized by "Azerkhalcha" OJSC and Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Office, with the support of the Ministry of Economy and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO), has successfully concluded, AzerNEWS reports.

The International Carpet Forum, organized on the first day of the event, on May 1, brought together local and foreign experts working in this field. The Forum was attended by representatives of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Albania, Morocco, Mexico, Turkiye, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Belgium and other countries.

The forum, which was attended by fine art experts, carpet-makers, students, and art figures, featured extensive presentations on the history, aesthetic features of Azerbaijani carpets, and their place in the world cultural heritage; it was also emphasized that carpet-making is not only a cultural heritage, but also a creative industry with high economic potential.

On May 2-3, the International Carpet Festival continued in a festive atmosphere on the ancient streets and squares of Icherisheher. The ancient Bukhara and Multani caravansaries, Gosha Gala Square, and other venues hosted carpet exhibitions, master classes, interactive theater performances, and concert programs.

The festival, which was attended by representatives of 19 countries, set up national pavilions of 14 states, including Azerbaijan, and demonstrated various carpet weaving schools, techniques, and traditions to visitors.

During the festival, the territory of Icherisheher was decorated with 500 real handmade carpets of "Azerkhalcha" OJSC. Within two days, thousands of local and foreign guests walked on these carpets, touched and photographed, and passed a part of history.

Speaking at the official opening ceremony held at Gosha Gala Square, Chairman of the Board of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve Office, Rufat Mahmud, Chairman of the Board of Directors of "Azerkhalcha" OJSC, Honored Artist Emin Mammadov, Executive Director of AZPROMO Yusif Abdullayev, and Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture Polad Bulbuloglu, specially noted both the cultural and economic importance of the Festival. It was noted that such international events not only strengthened the tourism potential of Azerbaijan but also made a significant contribution to the promotion of our national heritage on a global scale.

The guests got acquainted with the collections of carpets, samples of national applied and decorative arts, and international pavilions exhibited at the festival.

This year, in addition to the main organizers, about 20 organizations acted as partners at the International Carpet Festival.

The International Carpet Festival 2026, which demonstrates the path of development of Azerbaijani carpet-making art from ancient history to modern times, not only plays an important role in promoting the cultural heritage of our country at the international level, but also once again proves that such large-scale events can be successfully organized in the historical environment of Icherisheher.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az and Milli.Az.