Carpet weaving is an art and one of the crucial aspects of culture and history when it comes to Azerbaijan. With that much importance, it’s only natural to have a museum dedicated to carpets and rugs in the country. When it was built, it was the only one of its kind.

Culture and History at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum

The First Carpet Museum Was in Azerbaijan

The National Carpet Museum was founded in 1967, and it was originally located in the Old City district of Baku in the Juma Mosque. In 1991, the museum was relocated to what used to be the Lenin Museum located on Neftchilar Avenue. In 2014, the National Carpet Museum was moved once more to a new building in the Seaside Park district of Baku.

The design of the current museum building was created by an Australian architect, Franz Janz. It resembles a huge rolled carpet.

The National Carpet Museum in Azerbaijan houses the biggest collection of Azerbaijani carpets in the whole world. Some carpets date back to the 17th century, along with accompanying folk crafts and archeological artifacts. The museum is also a research site where people study and discuss the art of traditional carpet weaving along with its modern legacy.

What You’ll See in the Museum

On the first floor of the Carpet Museum, visitors have the opportunity to walk through a timeline of famous Azerbaijani carpet weaving. Weaving tools like wool looms, ropes, and carpet bags are also on display.

Carpets displayed in the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum — Culture and History at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum

The second floor is where visitors will find distinct groups of carpets piled on top of each other. There's information about the motifs found in the Azerbaijani folk art, for instance — the dragons, buta, tree of life, and more.

The museum’s third floor focuses mainly on modern carpeting and how the art form has changed and developed throughout the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.