Стр. 52 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

52
Given their similarities, carpets woven in the
Girkhbulag and Ashtarak areas can be joined
into one group. Situated thirteen kilometers
northeast of Iravan, Ashtarak is known as an
ancient Oghuz-Turkic land. The Old Turkish
words terek (pine tree) and
khach (cross), the symbol of
Turkish Christianity, can be
found in the names of this area.
There are also many monu-
ments relating to the ancient
Turkic faiths and Islam. In ad-
dition, the Seljuk left traces on
carpets and architecture.
The area of Ashtarak consists
of both mountains and plains.
This district is close to the Alagoz Mountains on one side and to Iravan on the
other and is known for mysterious alpine meadows and foothill forests. The
forests are full of oaks, walnuts, wild apricots and cherry plums, hawthorns,
and figs. In the past, people used to boil unripe walnuts with fig leaves to ob-
tain a green dye. Dark blue was created from lajiverd stone (azure) extracted
from the soil, and purple was made out of
lazurite. Developments in sheep breeding
resulted in an abundance of carpets and car-
pet products. The beauty of the enigmatic
landscape, flower gardens, green forests and
meadows of this district were absorbed in
the carpets, giving them a thousand colors.
The folklore, traditions, cuisine and daily
life of the people living in Ashtarak are part
of general Azerbaijani culture. The splendor
of stunning landscapes, flower gardens, green forests, and alpine meadows are
reflected in the carpets woven here.
Near Iravan, Girkhbulag province is famous for its rivers and springs. Located
on the Tbilisi road, this province was noteworthy for its old bridges, mosques,
and temples with traces of Turkish Christianity. Colorful flowers and bushes
grew on the snowy hills along the Agmangan Mountains. Historically, this
Girkhbulag and Ashtarak provinces