On 4-5 May 2024, Baku’s Icherisheher (Old City) will host the first National Carpet Festival of Azerbaijan.
The festival, lasting two days, envisages a series of events dedicated to carpet weaving art in the area of Icherisheher, including the exhibition of exclusive collections consisting of ancient, modern, and designer carpets, masterclasses for adults and children on carpet weaving, informative seminars, interactive theatre performances, a fair, a mugham evening and a concert programme. During the days of the National Carpet Festival, the streets of the Old City will be covered with carpets and special decorations with carpet ornamentation, transformed by the colourful and magical beauty of carpets.
Visitors interested in carpet weaving art will have the opportunity to get acquainted with all the stages of carpet production, especially the dyeing of threads, application of patterns and motifs, weaving, finishing, burning and washing processes. During the masterclasses, the Azerkhalcha team of dyers and finishers from 14 regions of Azerbaijan will demonstrate lessons on the carpet loom to the guests. Additionally, the Ministry of Science and Education and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan will be represented at the National Carpet Festival with their own stands.
It should be noted that the National Carpet Festival, hosted by Icherisheher, is dedicated to ‘Carpet Weaver's Day,’ established by a Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on 25 November 2016. ‘Traditional art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving’ is included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which carries the mission of promoting and preserving Azerbaijani carpet weaving art.
Residents and guests of Baku are all invited to the first National Carpet Festival.