Turkish and Azerbaijan Art of Carpet-MakingCarpet-making is one of the ancient fields of the decorative-applied art of Azerbaijan. According to archeological excavations in the territory of Azerbaijan and to literature sources, carpet making had been conceived in ancient times.According to the historical sources, Azerbaijan was one of the most important centres of pile and flat-woven carpets production in the East in Middle Ages. According to the technology and artistic decision Azerbaijan carpets can be divided into two types: flat-woven and pile carpets. There are 7 methods of technique of flat-woven carpet weaving, which resemble tapestry, at the same time there are only two methods of pile carpet weaving. Each Azerbaijan district is famous for its own original carpets and carpet-ware peculiar for the given zone. Palas, Jejim, Shedde, Kilim, Zili, Varni, and others are considered to be Azerbaijan flat-woven carpets. Since ancient times Azerbaijan flat-woven carpet were widespread as utensils: khurjun (travelling bag), mafrash (similar to trunk), chul (popone), etc. Since ancient times carpet-making in Azerbaijan was women business, who cautiously shared their experience from generation to generation. Composition, ornamentation and artistic methods were closed and clear to every carpet-maker, no matter how complicated they were. It is evidently, that in ancient times there was no woman, who didn’t weave carpets in Karabakh, Barda, and later in Shusha. One of the main articies of girl’s dowry was a carpets complete-set («Dastkhali-gabe») consisting of 3 or 4 carpets. A bride had to take first hand part in weaving of such a complete-set. It is interesting to know, that women, who came to seek in marriage a girl, usually inquire about her skill at weaving carpets. In 1917 in 222 villages of Ganja district more than 33069 persons were engaged in carpet-making, that constitute 49 % of the population and 56 % of the all handcraftsmen of the district. In the same year 39979 persons from 97 out of 111 village of Kuba district were carpet-makers, that constitute 81 % of district handcraftsmen. Such figures may be met in the villages of Shirvan, Karabakh and Apsheron. These facts confirmed that carpetry gained expansion and was one of the main spheres of applied arts. By their technical and artistic peculiarities flat-woven and pile carpets can be divided into four types.
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