The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum Opened the Immersive Exhibition The Art of the Rabat Carpet

The immersive exhibition The Art of the Rabat Carpet is open at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum on the occasion of the professional holiday Carpet Weaver’s Day.

Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Arzu Aliyeva, Head of the Baku Media Center, and Lalla Hasna, Princess of the Kingdom of Morocco and the President of the Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat, who is on an official visit in Azerbaijan, participated in the event.

The event is organised by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, the House of Morocco Handicrafts and the National Foundation of Museums of Morocco.

Amina Melikova, Director of the ANCM, said in her speech that carpet art is a great contribution not only to Azerbaijani, but also to cultural heritage of the world. She emphasized that since 2016, May 5 is celebrated as the Carpet Weaver’s Day in accordance with the Decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev. She also noted that the traditional Azerbaijani carpet art was included within the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

The artistic part of the event featured the presentation of the animated film Pari Khanum’s Magic Carpets Tale and the newly composed song Weave with Love! (lyrics by People’s Artist Eldar Mikayilzade, music by People’s Artist and composer Faig Sujaddinov) performed by singer Zabita Aliyeva.

Then the exhibition opened.

The exhibition presented the beauty of the Rabat carpet through an immersive narrative with thrilling visuals that brought together physical and digital methods of display. Fine-art photographs, graphic illustrations and the authentic 20th-century Rabat carpet together with the early 20th-century Azerbaijani carpet representing the Gazakh carpet school were also on display. These exhibits reflect link between two ancient textile traditions. Designed as a living narrative journey, the exhibition traces the origins of the Rabat carpet, its meticulous fabrication techniques, and the central role of women artisans in its preservation and transmission.

In addition, the event showcased the composition Muse by Honoured Cultural Worker, artistic puppet master Elmira Abbasli, carpets woven in the museum within the framework of the Revival of Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art: Originality and Innovation project and the painting Carpet Weavers by People’s Artist Khalida Safarova.

The event also included the traditional cutting ceremony of the Nagshijahan carpet off the loom in accordance with ancient traditions. The carpet was woven in the museum’s Traditional Technologies Department. A video featuring paintings dedicated to carpet weavers was also presented.

Next, the guests got acquainted with the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. They were told in detail about ancient Azerbaijani carpet art, its history and traditions.

The exhibition is on until May 10.