Carpet is one of those items that can decorate your home. Traditionally, it is laid on the floor, but it can also be hung on the wall. Carpet weaving is a specialization industry in some countries. For example, in Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. It is logical that in these states you can visit the carpet museums. As a rule, they are located in the capital.
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
Of the countries neighboring Russia, carpet weaving is famous for Azerbaijan. The thematic museum appeared in Baku in Soviet times. It was opened in 1967 and until 2014 was called the State Museum of Carpet and Applied Arts. In 2014, its name was changed to modern.
In Soviet times, the museum was located in a mosque. Such a tradition in those years was to place museums in temples and mosques. In 1992, he was transferred to the building of the former Lenin Museum, and the exposition occupied 13 halls.
The new building of this institution opened in 2014 in Seaside Park. It has become one of the symbols of the capital of Azerbaijan, because it resembles a carpet in shape. It was built by an Austrian architect, and the decree on its creation was signed by President Ilham Aliyev himself.
The museum's collection includes over 10 thousand exhibits. Including:
- Pile and lint-free carpets.
- Metal, glass, clay and wood products.
- Samples of fabrics and embroidery.
- Products of local jewelers.
The exposition occupies three floors. It hosts lectures and a library.
Other sights of Baku are located near the museum: funicular, Ferris wheel, Maiden’s tower, Flag Square, Botanical Garden, National Museum of Art.
In the days of the USSR, he had a branch in the city of Shushi, but because of the conflict in Karabakh, the exhibition was moved to Baku.
It is useful for those who plan to visit it to know the opening hours of the carpet museum in Baku: from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays, except Mondays, as well as from 10:00 to 20:00 on weekends. An adult ticket costs 280 rubles, and a child or student ticket is half the price.
You can fly to Russia from Baku by plane or take a train.
Museum in Istanbul
In the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, the Museum of Carpets and Kilims appeared in 1979, that is, almost immediately after the opening of a similar institution in neighboring Iran. Initially, it was located on the territory of the Sultanahmet mosque, and since 2013 a more spacious room was allocated for it near the Ayia Sofya mosque. The museum exposition consists of 2500 carpets, which belong to the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. It is open from 09:00 to 16:00 from Tuesday to Saturday. A ticket costs 10 lire.
Museum in Iran
The cultures of Iran and Azerbaijan are historically closely related. Therefore, do not be surprised that there is a carpet museum in Tehran. It opened in 1978, that is, on the eve of the famous Islamic revolution. The building was built on the orders of the wife of the last Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty and in shape resembles a loom.
The exposition occupies two floors, it tells about the history of the Iranian carpet from the 9th century. Visitors can watch movies and slides.
Search for this museum should be in the center of Tehran. It is located near the metro station "Meydan-e Khor". From it you need to go west along the avenue towards Lale Park. It is located near the entrance to the park, next to the Museum of Modern Art.
Museum in Turkmenistan
Desert Turkmenistan is known not only for the Ruhnama and the oddities of its first president, but also for traditional carpet weaving. In 1993, in Ashgabat, by decree of the head of state, the Turkmen carpet museum was founded, which was officially opened a year later. They also sometimes like to advertise him as the only one in the world, but this is only true if we are talking specifically about Turkmen carpets. The museum building occupies about 5 thousand square meters. m
The collection includes about 2000 exhibits, including unique carpets - the smallest (for carrying keys) and the Golden Age carpet with an area of 300 square meters. m. The last weaved in 2001.
The museum is located 3 kilometers south of Ashgabat Railway Station, next to the Golden Age Park.
Museum in Zaslavl
Not far from the capital of Belarus is the ancient city of Zaslavl. There is already a decent museum complex for a small city, and since 2017 a separate carpet museum has been created. In Belarus they are called "Malyavanki", that is, painted carpets. Now its exhibits can be seen at exhibitions, for example, in the National Museum. But in the coming years, the thematic carpet museum should open.
