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Qabil Ashirov

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The event took place in the carpet workshop of the Azerkhalcha OJSC located in Nardaran on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of the inclusion of the traditional carpet weaving art of Azerbaijan in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the direct initiative and support of Mehriban Aliyeva, the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and a demonstration of the next cooperation of AzerkhalchaOJSC with young, talented, creative artists and carpet makers.

According to Azernews, at the event, there was a cutting ceremony for the first carpets woven based on the collection of paintings “Fruits in the Orchard” by artist Samira Allahverdieva.

The collection includes Karabakh carpets with thick piles, such as Talish, Nakhchivan, Malibayli, Chelebi, KhilaAfshan Shirvan, Baku, and Tirmabuta Ganja carpets. All carpets were woven by 14 female weavers in the Nardaran workshop of Azerkhalcha OJSC within 1 year. The fruit ornaments on the carpets are made with 3D techniques. The carpets included in the collection are limited in quantity: only 10 copies of each carpet.

Emin Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of Azerkhalcha OJSC, Honoured Art Worker, who attended the ceremony, declared the event open and welcomed everyone. In his speech, he noted that it is now necessary to present our national and spiritual heritage, our carpets, to the whole world in a more modern way in the changing and globalised world: “Let our modern and attractive carpets of different colours become the most valuable decoration of modern interiors in all parts of the world!It's time for the whole world to see the rare pearls of Azerbaijan's carpet weaving art, which has been included in UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage for 13 years in modern design like our carpets, which we present today, processed with special 3D technique”.

Samira Allahverdiyeva spoke at the event and expressed her thoughts about the idea of the collection, the reason for its creation, and cooperation with the Azerkhalcha OJSC.

"For the first time, I heard about carpets from my grandmother. Since I was a child, I watched how granny Zarnishan, a hereditary carpet weaver from Zangilan, makes incredibly beautiful carpets by putting her soul, inspiration, and love for her native land in them. Literally, her carpets resembled boundless landscapes. “Previously, local craftswomen rolled their carpets under almost each tree and poured almost all the fruits that grew in the region over the carpets, so they dried quickly," said the grandmother.

Till now, I remember this magical “rainbow” of sunny persimmons, bright pomegranate fruits, and juicy lemons, which undoubtedly affected all my work.

In Azerbaijan, we have always had a special attitude towards carpets; here, they mean much more to people than just interior decoration or investment. The carpet is the heritage of ancestors, the carpet is childhood memories. And my childhood is a clear example of how these ornaments, which are full of information from ancient times, are engraved not only in my visual memory but also in my heart. The Azerbaijani carpet contains splendour of all local landscape colours: the dark blue sky, the bright golden sun, the thick green leaves, the bright colourful flowers, and all the various shades of fruits and berries with which the Azerbaijan soil is rich. Each of my paintings have mysterious carpet motifs that reflect the juicy fruit elements that fertile soil of my country is rich in.

The cooperation between me and Azerkhalcha is just a chance that probably happens once in a lifetime, and not everyone deserves to present their creativity at the highest level because the carpets of our joint project with Azerkhalcha represent our country, its rich, centuries-old history, its unique nature, and its unique culture.

Samira Allahverdieva, whose parents come from Zangilan, was born in Astarkhan. She graduated from the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts with a bachelor's degree in painting in 2007 and a master's degree in graphic design in 2014, and she is a member of the Union of Young Artists. She has participated in exhibitions in countries such as Azerbaijan, Turkiye, the USA, Belgium, and Russia, and her works are kept in private collections.

Azerkhalcha OJSC successfully continues relevant activities in the field of work and cooperation with youth to promote traditional Azerbaijani carpet art both in Azerbaijan and abroad.

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