At the core of historic Baku — Icherisheher — its winding lanes, stone architecture, and caravanserais have, over recent days, been transformed into a vibrant tapestry interlacing ornamentation, heritage, and modern artistic expression.
The third International Carpet Festival has opened here — a world-class event that has brought together thousands of local residents and international guests, AzerNEWS reports citing Trend Life.
These days, Baku is becoming more than just the world capital of carpets — it is turning into a place where the past and the future are literally woven into a single canvas. Ancient caravanserais, squares, and historic houses have become venues for carpet exhibitions, master classes, and musical events.
The main mission of the festival is to present Azerbaijani carpet weaving to the world not as a museum exhibit, but as a living, evolving art. Carpet weaving in Azerbaijan has long gone beyond being just a craft. It is a visual code that encodes regional ornaments, family traditions, and the aesthetics of entire eras.
The festival officially began on May 1 at the Baku Business Center, where the second International Carpet Forum titled "Carpet Industry: Value Creation, Branding, and Global Markets" was held. It brought together leading experts, designers, manufacturers, and researchers from around the world, serving as an intellectual prelude to the large-scale cultural marathon.
But the real magic unfolded in Icherisheher. From that day, the ancient city turned into an open-air gallery: carpets decorated squares, courtyards, and even the walls of historic buildings. National pavilions appeared at Gosha Gala Square, where artisans from different countries demonstrate their weaving traditions. Various events take place in caravanserais and along cobblestone streets, with stands, exhibitions, and workshops where visitors can witness how a carpet is literally "born."
Particular interest was sparked by unusual artistic installations: for example, an improvised football field entirely made of carpets, which was visited by players of the Qarabag football club, causing great excitement. One of the most talked-about performances was the symbolic "wedding of carpets," where traditions were presented in an almost theatrical form.
During these days, Icherisheher has become not just a venue, but a living space of carpet art, where past and future intertwine into a single pattern.
The festival also features exhibitions of unique carpets from different regions, master classes by weavers demonstrating the creation of patterns, performance programs, and special educational activities for children.
The organizers include Azerkhalcha OJSC and the Administration of the Icherisheher State Historical-Architectural Reserve, with the support of the Ministry of Economy and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO).
The festival is dedicated to Carpet Weaver's Day and coincides with the 10th anniversary of Azerkhalcha. One of the festival's partners is the Karabakh Revival Fund, which presented the project "Tracing Karabakh," implemented jointly with the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts. Specialized literature is also displayed, along with an information board.
As Parvin Mammadova, Public Relations Coordinator of the fund, noted, children create artworks inspired by the ornaments of Karabakh carpets:
"Our cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts has been ongoing for several years. The first stage was the ‘Colors of Karabakh’ project, and we plan to present its second part in the near future. The uniqueness of the project lies in the fact that the created works are exchanged for donations. We deliberately avoid the term ‘sale’ — this is a format of charitable contributions. All collected funds are directed toward the restoration of Karabakh's cultural heritage.
The works from the previous stage attracted great interest from donors and companies and were exchanged for significant donations. In addition, the fund focuses not only on cultural restoration but also on ecology. Therefore, olive saplings are presented at the stand. Anyone can scan a QR code to make a donation for tree planting in Karabakh. As a token of appreciation, participants receive symbolic olive saplings," she said.
Another partner is the Baku International Art Festival. Its main mission is to bring world-class art to Baku, present local talents on an international platform, and create a unity of tradition and modernity through art. Asmar Babayeva, Creative Director and Board Member of Azerkhalcha OJS, emphasized the importance of combining musical and carpet art:
"Festival events will take place at leading cultural venues in Baku. Both international and local participants will perform, presenting new ideas and contemporary forms of art. Our goal is to contribute to the development of modern culture in Azerbaijan and create a platform for creative exchange. We aim to unite music, dance, theater, and visual art on one platform, creating not just events but a full emotional experience."
The festival becomes a meeting point of cultures, ideas, and eras. Baku once again confirms its status as a city where East meets West, and where tradition seamlessly transforms into modernity.
And perhaps it is here today that one can best feel that a carpet is not just a household object, but a language through which history speaks — a language that sounds especially vivid and contemporary in Baku.
Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, and Milli.Az.
