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Carpets in color of Absheron sands are traditionally popular
Surakhany carpet, 19th C.
















Even new compositions are following classical traditions

Especially gentle, high-quality carpets are being produced in Baku and all over the Absheron peninsula from the most ancient times. The Baku carpet style is a group which includes these types:

9-"Gaadi" (or Dagli)

Titles of the majority of the listed types are related to the names of the old villages of Baku and the whole Absheron peninsula. But it does not mean that each type is usual just for a single place which gave its name to this type. For example, "Khila-buta" carpet has received its name from the village of Khila (Amirjan) while carpets of such pattern are produced in all other carpet-weaving centers of Baku-Absheron as well. Sometimes the name of a carpet type even doesn't have any connection with a certain place at all.

Carpet weaving really is a hard work. In some cases the complexity of this process has found its reflection in the name of a carpet type. For example, one from the "Khila-buta" varieties is named "Gizgaridan", meaning a carpet, that makes a weaving girl grow old - so long and complicated the process of its manufacturing is.

The local nature and dominant colors of the environment necessarily find their reflection in a carpet style's "color language". Dark-blue and yellow tints - colors of sea and sand, are typical for the carpets of the Baku group.

Traditional motif with three gells in the middle field

The main element of composition of this group of carpets is Buta - one of the richest ornamental elements of Azerbaijan's decorative arts. Buta is frequently used for expression of the fire, flame images.

Chains of these elements are traditionally used either framing carpet's middle field or in the shape of helical tree branches. These chains are integrating separate main and auxiliary decorative elements of a carpet into a complete composition. Besides, they serve to integrate compositionally several Gels - special element groups, which are located horizontally and vertically in a carpet. Gels are medallions, decorating a middle field of a carpet. Sometimes Buta itself is placed in the middle of a Gel. In such carpets the fourth part of Gel happens to be repeated in each of four corners of a middle field, with addition of some elements symbolizing traditional items of household activities, such as wheel of well ("guyu charkhi"), small metal shovel ("kurek"), candlestick ("shamdan"), butterfish ("yagdan"), images of animals, vegetative elements.


Every new composition with Gels usually appeared as expression of a joy, celebration, wedding. For example Gels, referring to as "Khoncha", are symbolically featuring a bride's adornments and traditional big plates with sweets. And the shape of the "Gaadi" carpet's Gels reminds of the big round trays traditionally used during most of the crowded ceremonies. Often the word "Potnus" (tray) itself is used to name all Gels of such carpets, while only the central medallion is named "Alma" (apple) or "Goghal" (pancake).

Reflection of the knowledge about celestial objects in some carpet compositions of the Baku group seems to be rather interesting as well. For example, in carpets representing the "Novkhani" type, there are compositions with very peculiar Gels: in their center there is a small medallion called "Kosher ayagi" (leg of a camel) and twelve round elements are surrounding this "Koshek ayagi". These images are treated by some experts as twelve zodiacal constellations.