Magnificent carpet museum to open in Azerbaijan in March
By Nigar Orujova
A carpet museum designed in the form of a rolled carpet is expected to open in the seaside park (boulevard) of the Azerbaijani capital Baku on the eve of Novruz Holiday, which is celebrated on March 20-21.
The new building, which is a synthesis of the architectural styles of Europe and the East, is being constructed under the joint project of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Culture and Tourism Ministry and UNESCO.
Archives provided with new equipment, a storehouse, a laboratory, and a department of restoration and conservation will operate at the underground part of the building. The 122-meter-long building will be about 22 meters wide and 18 meters high.
The ground floor of the building will host an administrative and research area, while the second floor will house a library and a carpet weaving and sewing research center; a meeting room and an audio and visual presentations room will be on the third floor. The fourth floor is designed for exhibition halls and meetings. The museum will also have rooms earmarked for jewelry exhibitions.
The museum will play a significant role in attracting foreign tourists to Azerbaijan. Tourists will be able to buy restored ancient Azerbaijani carpets there.
Carpet-weaving art is one of the ancient crafts in Azerbaijan. For centuries the Land of Fire has been famous for its unique carpets, which nowadays are exhibited in many world museums - in the Louvre in Paris, in the Hermitage in Saint-Petersburg, in the Victoria and Albert in London, in the Textile in Washington, in the Topkapi in Istanbul, and others.
In November 2010 the Azerbaijani carpet was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.
The Azerbaijan State Carpet Museum, the first carpet museum in the world, was founded in 1967 in Baku. First it was located in the Juma Mosque in the Old City, and then moved to the former Lenin Museum in 1992.
The current carpet museum is named after well-known Azerbaijani scientist Latif Karimov, who is the founder of the carpet study and carpet-making history of Azerbaijan.