►The building of the museum is made in the original form of an unfolding Aladdin carpet , as a result of which the walls of the museum are curved and provide unique opportunities for displaying exhibits . Who was the architect ?
- The building avant-garde in the shape of an unfolding carpet , made of metal and glass , is a bold decision for a museum that displays traditional art . The building itself is an art object and attracts attention with its unique architectural design . At first glance , there is no doubt that this building is related to the theme of the carpet . The dynamic form of the building gives a sense of monumentality and at the same time a feeling of lightness , as if floating in air . The 5-stored building is designed to show all areas of the museum ’ s activities . The largest area , over 5000 m ², is devoted to expositions . This zone is a single interconnected organism . Three floors are viewed from different perspectives . The visible space is entirely covered with luxurious carpets , drawing visitors ’ attention . There are wells between three floors . These glass rectangular wells create an additional effect , the exposition area is observed from another angle and there is an opportunity to look at the exhibits from above .
The exposition is arranged in such a way that amazingly beautiful carpets are gradually unfolding in front of the viewer , drawing everyone further into this enchanting space , where the play of light and shadow helps to discern the intricacies of patterns . This fairy-tale world , inhabited by fantastic animals , birds of paradise , archaic symbols , comes to life and from the surface of the carpet passes to the walls or ceiling with the help of projections . It seems that you are inside a huge magic carpet that takes you to another dimension and reveals all the mysteries of this art .
Finally , the architecture of the building takes into account the interests of people with disabilities . The museum entrance and the whole space do not have steps , the floors are connected by escalators , there are two elevators designed for wheelchairs . The exposition is also located in such a way that it is convenient for people in a sitting position to look , read , and work with touch screens .
►A deep and sometimes philosophical meaning is hidden in the patterns of the carpet . How to understand and read what is depicted on the carpets ? And what is the point of the carpets displayed in your museum ? - And this is one more question for a dissertation ... To understand what is encrypted in a particular carpet , you need to know the “ alphabet ” of ornaments , which has a lot of “ letters ”... Behind each , even the smallest element of the pattern there is a whole history , rooted in the depths of centuries and not all of these stories have been studied yet . Our museum is doing a great work of promoting knowledge about ornaments among the population . We also act through social networks , devote exhibitions , lectures and books to this topic . We do what we can so that people of our time can “ read ” Azerbaijani carpets like an open book .
I want to speak about the “ dragon carpets ” from our collection . As you know , the image of the dragon is one of the most ancient in the world . It is presented in the culture of the East and West . Among the ancient Turks , the dragon symbolized fertility , rain , water , was a talisman . It was believed that the dragon depicted on the carpet protected the owner of the carpet from adversity and the evil eye , and also brought abundance . Dragon motifs have been known to us since I millennium BC . This is evidenced by the dragon depicted on the golden bowl from Hasanli ( the territory of modern Iran , historically South Azerbaijan , near Urmia ).
► There is an old eastern proverb “ My home is where the carpet is laid ”. What place does carpet take in the culture of Azerbaijan ? Does modern life change the attitude towards carpets today ?
- Carpet in Azerbaijani culture is much more than just an element of home decoration . It reflects the originality of the people ’ s perception of the world and artistic taste . It is completely natural for Azerbaijanis to live surround by carpets . A house without a carpet is not a house . Carpets are given as a dowry ; some of them are laid on special occasions , others – all the time , and children play on them in the house . And on the last journey a person also goes on a carpet ... Thus , the carpet accompanies a person throughout his life .
At one time , a certain aesthetic belief arose in the post-Soviet space . To look at the carpet in the house meant as to look at something old-fashioned and philistine , as a manifestation of a purely Soviet culture . Fortunately , this did not affect Azerbaijan . We have always appreciated ancient carpets , passed on by inheritance , but at the same time we are happy to buy new carpets that do not have ( in some cases – only for now !) historical value . On the other hand , now and throughout the post-Soviet space , the attitude towards carpet is gradually changing . The carpet turns into “ well-forgotten old ”, from which a new aesthetics of space grows . It is aesthetics to decorate the house with a grandmother ’ s carpet or buy a new one with a traditional ornament or with an abstract composition . There is also a third way that is to weave the carpet yourself . For example , at our museum there are carpet weaving courses , and they are gladly attended by adults who want to learn this art .
►In the Caucasus , many peoples have mastered the art of carpet weaving . What is the difference between the Azerbaijani carpet and the rest ? What are its advantages over other carpets ?
- In fact , this is such a question , the full answer to which will not fit into one dissertation ... In short , the Azerbaijani carpets have passed the most difficult path of development , becoming carriers of compressed and encrypted information about the universe , giving rise to many compositions , each of which is a separate world view . But the technical side of the issue also plays an important role . Azerbaijani carpet weaving has given the world magnificent examples of carpets . We can recall the carpets of the Safavid epoch , made not only of wool , but also of silk , and even of gold threads . Traditions that have multiplied over the centuries continue to this day . Contemporary carpet artists in our country work both in the mainstream of the classics and are looking for new ways to work with ornament and technology .
Joint exhibition of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art . Istanbul , Turkey , March 2020
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