Ten-year anniversary: National Carpet Museum honors its new building's inauguration

National Carpet Museum celebrates ten years since the inauguration of its stunning new building in Baku, Azernews reports.

To commemorate this remarkable anniversary, the museum held a special event titled "Ancient Art in Modern Space," organized in partnership with the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry.

The evening commenced with a video highlighting the concern of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, who unwaveringly supported the development of carpet weaving in the country.

Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum Amina Malikova and Advisor to the Culture Minister Jahangir Selimkhanov drew the attention to the significance of August 26.

It was underlined that August 26 marks the Day of the Lachin City, the birthday of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, ICESCO Goodwill Ambassador and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and the anniversary of the opening of the new museum building.

In their speeches, they emphasized the exceptional merits of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva in preserving the national heritage and developing the museums of the country.

A large-scale project aimed at preserving, developing and passing on the art of carpet to future generations was implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Ministry of Culture. The opening ceremony of the new unique building, the architectural feature of which was the shape of an unfolding carpet, took place on August 26, 2014.

In connection with the anniversary date, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum was awarded an honorary diploma of the Culture Ministry for its services in preserving and popularizing examples of folk applied art, which are the bearers of the culture of the Azerbaijani people.

The guests were shown a fragment of the video project "A carpet for me is..." with the participation of cultural and artistic figures, in which they shared memories of the role of the carpet in their lives.

A specially invited guest - the author of the modern building of the museum, the outstanding Austrian architect Franz Janz spoke about the implementation of the project, which has become one of the symbols of Baku, shared his experience and impressions.

Currently, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum is one of the most frequented cultural institutions in the country.

Founded in 1967, the National Carpet Museum holds more than 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets.

Initiated by eminent carpet artist Latif Karimov, the museum is beautiful inside and out.

The museum's new building is designed in the form of a rolled carpet. Now, the museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences, and various exhibitions.

In 2019, the museum received national status for its significant contribution to promoting Azerbaijani carpet weaving art.

In 2020, the Carpet Museum enriched its collection with a beautiful pile of carpets purchased by the Culture Ministry at the Sartirana Textile Show in Italy.

The 19th-century Guba carpet "Ugakh" was donated to the Carpet Museum, while the Garabagh carpet "Chelebi" enriched the collection of the museum's Shusha branch.

For four years, the Carpet Museum won the Travellers' Choice Awards. The award proves once again that the professional activity of the National Carpet Museum is highly appreciated by visitors from all over the world.