CNN publishes article on Azerbaijani art of carpet weaving

For some, home is where the heart is. In Azerbaijan, however, the saying goes, “xalçam harada, yurdum orada,” meaning “wherever my carpet is, that’s where I live," says an article headlined "Azerbaijan: The beautiful country where carpet is the highest order of art" published on CNN, according to Report.

The author of the article notes that Azerbaijan’s love affair with carpets is an inextricable one — a much-revered art form that’s been woven into its cultural DNA since the Bronze Age and fervently preserved thereafter: "Today, carpets are an intrinsic part of daily life."

"Weaving techniques are passed down from generation to generation — and each carpet has a unique story to tell. They’re such an artistic phenomenon that in 2010, UNESCO inscribed traditional Azerbaijani carpet weaving onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the country’s capital, Baku, the beloved carpet’s most striking embodiment comes in the form of a building shaped, rather remarkably, like a gargantuan, half-rolled carpet decorated with a golden geometric pattern," the article says.

It also tells about the history of carpet weaving in Azerbaijan. The author notes that Azerbaijani carpets have long reached far and wide.

"They were eulogized in the 'Book of Dede Korkut,' which some trace back to the 10th century, making it one of the oldest surviving pieces of Turkish literature," the article reads.

"It's believed that the Arab traveler Al-Muqaddasi, also from the 10th century, visited Azerbaijan, noting that 'their carpets have no equals in the world.' Even ancient Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon, as well as famous Italian explorer and writer Marco Polo, wrote about the Azerbaijani carpet’s significance in their works," it notes.

Today, the preservation of carpet weaving is so important to Azerbaijan that it is taught in some universities and colleges across the country. The Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts in Baku, for example, offers a bachelor’s degree in Decorative, Applied Art (carpet, weaving), the article says.

For tourists, there are carpet weaving workshops all around the country, including the Qadim Quba in Azerbaijan’s northern Quba region, it notes.

The author expresses confidence that carpets will remain firmly stitched into the tapestry of Azerbaijani culture for generations to come.