Azerbaijan International Carpet Festival

The second edition of the annual carpet event is taking place in Baku in May 2025. Lucy Upward reports

A country that holds an annual carpet festival is surely one that is proud of its weaving heritage. For Azerbaijan the first edition of the event took place on 4-5 May 2024 in Baku’s Icherisheher (Old City), which was an impressive way to celebrate the country’s widely respected carpet history.

Last year’s two-day extravaganza comprised multiple events dedicated to carpet weaving, including an exhibition of antique, modern and designer carpets, weaving masterclasses for adults and children, a seminar programme, theatre performances, a fair, a mugham evening (featuring poetry and music) and a series of concerts.

Central to this important event is the organisation Azerkhalcha, which was founded around one hundred years ago and has played a vital role in the history of modern Azerbaijani carpet weaving.

For this year, the International Carpet Festival returns to Icherisheher in Baku on 2–4 May 2025, organised by the Administration of the State Historical-Architectural Reserve and the Azerkhalcha Open JointStock Company (OJSC), which was established by President Ilham Aliyev on 5 May 2016.

This year’s three-day event will again include a wide programme, including forums for experts, carpet exhibitions, music events and many interactive activities for all ages.

While this is a location where many contemporary companies— including Mirmola (see Features) and Jan Kath— have made rugs recently, ‘Traditional art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving’ is also included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. An art that should be supported and celebrated. Find out more here.