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Shirvan carpet school – a school of great importance in Azerbaijani carpet weaving

Shirvan carpet school

The Shirvan carpet school is located in the north-eastern part of Azerbaijan and covers Shamakhi, Maraza, Aghsu, Kurdamir, Hajigabul, Goychay districts and numerous villages.

Since the Middle Ages, Shirvan carpets have been popular in the entire world with their rich compositions and difficult patterns. German and English travellers and ambassadors of the 16th-17th centuries described the artistic peculiarities of these carpets. European painters of the 14th-15th centuries used to depict these carpets in their works.

Nowadays Shirvan carpets of the 13th-14th centuries are kept in the best museums of the world. Shirvan carpets are woven in big sizes and with high density of knots.

The carpets called “Arjiman”, “Jamjamli”, “Gabistan”, “Maraza” and “Kurdamir” are the most well-known piled carpets from the Shirvan group. Shirvan was also famous for its pileless carpets such as “Palas” and “Kilim” made in the villages of Pashali and Udulu. The Shirvan carpet weavers also used to make various carpet-wares, such as chuval (bag), khurjun (saddle bag), mafrash (woven box), chul (horse cloth) and others.

About Fidan Abdullayeva