Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan returns its carpets to their former glory by opening another branch of “Azerkhalcha” OJSC in Ismayilli region on August 25.

This branch is not the first one opened in the republic with the aim of reviving and developing carpet art and maintaining the world image of the Azerbaijani carpet.

President Ilham Aliyev attending the opening ceremony of the branch said that carpet making in Azerbaijan has a very big history and a very great future.

“It is very good that you have preserved, and continue to keep this art. The future generation must also join this art, that is, the art of carpet weaving is our national treasure,” said the head of state.

The state allocated 2.4 million manats for the construction of a new carpet weaving workshop in Ismayilli region, which began in 2016.

Today, there are 10 branches of Azerkhalcha and the company plans to increase their number by 2019.

Chairman of the Board of Azerkhalcha OJSC Vidadi Muradov told Day.az that that 150 weavers and 12 administrative workers are expected to work here.

Currently, the company already employs about 100 skilled workers. The building includes a weaving workshop, a workshop of artists, a canteen, a medical room, a trading hall and other units.

"The specialists of Azerkhalcha conducted a study on the quality and quantity of products produced in 10 carpet shops, and concluded that the masters of the Ismayilli branch work best. As a result, the team was awarded. The weavers received both monetary compensation and certificates of honor,” said Muradov.

The branch also gave new life to the legendary Shirvan carpets.

“Carpet weaving art in Shirvan, which has ancient traditions of statehood, has developed historically. This was facilitated by the growing in the region of a large number of plants that serve as natural dyes. Since ancient times Shirvan carpets have always attracted the attention of scientists and travelers. Centuries ago, they were repeatedly mentioned in historical sources and travel notes as examples of high art. There are a number of reasons for this. One of them is the high quality of wool and natural dyes,” he said, adding that today national carpets are kept in many famous museums of the world.

Shirvan carpets are remembered by original artistic execution and color scheme. In the compositions of the pile and lint-free products of this group, traditional colors for Azerbaijani carpets - white, black, red, purple, dark blue, yellow, blue, green and others - are successfully and harmoniously used. Carpet experts appreciate Shirvan carpets in terms of internationally accepted categories - in importance, color and history.

The Ismayilli branch continues these traditions of carpet weaving and contributes to Azerbaijani carpet weaving art.

One of the important tasks for now is production of the necessary raw materials for the creation of carpets in Azerbaijan itself. To this end, a spinning dye factory is being created in the Sumgait Chemistry and Industrial Park. Raw materials for the factory - wool and dyes - will be harvested in Nakhchivan, Barda, Gobustan, Sabirabad and Shabran regions of the country by the respective regional centers.

Azerkhalcha was established in May 2016 under the presidential decree. The Company is focused on production and export of carpets and carpet products, organization of sales both domestically and internationally, application of new technologies in the production of carpets and carpet products, modernization and productive usage of equipment and facilities, and implementation of other tasks related to the development of this field.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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