Стр. 22 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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soil” or “black zag” to obtain a black color. Additionally, in this
region the thread was dyed in black using “itburnu” (prickly wild
rose), galli, sumac, and “saragan” (smoketree). “Black soil” was
naturally light yellow and was found mostly on the hills and in the
valleys near Gobustan (Arabgadim, Yekekhana, Maraza, Tekle,
Arabshahverdi, Kolani, Poladli, and other villages).
During the dyeing process, the thread had to go through a
chemical process (admixture) first, where it was placed in an alum
solution or a solution of sour alcha (cherry plum) or lavashana
(rolled thin sheets of cherry plum). If there was no lavashana, it
was substituted with a thick solution made of sour cherry plum,
apricot, cornel water, and ayran (sour yogurt mixed with water).
There was another method for the admixture of wool yarn in Shir-
van. Before dyeing the thread, it was first cooked in cherry plum
lavashana or cherry plum solution. The dyeing usually took place
during the last months of fall. At this time, necessary natural dye
grasses and fruits were gathered and stocked from summer and
fall. Another reason for this was that wool products were mostly
woven during the winter months. The dyed thread could be eaten
by moths or covered with dust if kept for a long time. Therefore,
the thread was usually dyed just when it was needed. Despite the
fact that Shirvan was rich in dye plants, every dye master kept
this empiric knowledge a secret and therefore many secrets of dye
technology have been lost.
Foreign travelers, merchants, and geographers visiting Shirvan
at different periods wrote about weaving carpets and the carpet
products found in homes. While describing the crusade of Arabs
into Azerbaijan, the well-known Arab historian Abu Jafar Mu-
hammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838-923) noted that in the year 22 AH
(642), very beautiful carpets were woven in the northwest region
of Azerbaijan, in the Shirvan province. In the Middle Ages the car-
pet weaving in Shirvan reached its height. In his divan (selected
poems), Khaqani Shirvani proudly noted that Abul Hasan Ali was
a famous “nejjar” (wood master) and his grandfather was a weav-
er. Interesting information about Shirvan carpets appears in the
writings of European travelers of the Middle Ages. In 1254 French
traveler V. Rubruk visited Shamakhi and noted that high quality
carpets were woven there. Visiting Shirvan in the sixteenth centu-
ry, Bannisler and Duket talked about carpets and other products
found in the houses of local masters. They noted that other than
carpets and copper products, household items were very rare in
the houses of local residents. The residents mainly sat on the floor
on carpets with their legs crossed. They noted that it was impos-
sible to find anyone even among regular people who did not have
at least a lower quality carpet. Carpets were laid out from top to
bottom of the sitting rooms as well as in the other rooms of the
houses. All these notes prove that all strata of the Shirvan popula-
tion used carpets and carpet products widely in the Middle Ages.
Information about Shirvan carpets is also encountered in the writ-
ings of 17th-18th century travelers. German traveler A. Oleari, who
came from Darband to Baku and then to Shamakhi, noted that
the houses of villagers were very neat and the floors were cov-
ered with khalis. Bel from Scotland, who visited Shamakhi, shared
similar information.
“Shamakhi” carpets woven in the late Middle Ages are on dis-
play in Saint Petersburg, Russia; in the Benaki museum in Athens,
Greece; in New York’s Metropolitan museum; and in London,
England’s Victoria andAlbert museum. These carpets are current-
ly included in the list of the most rare carpet samples in the world.
Shirvan carpets are divided into pile weave and flat weave,
according to their production technology, and into themed and
un-themed according to their artistic characteristics. The carpet
weaving centers of Shirvan cover many villages of the regions of
Kilim fragment. Wool. Flat-weave.
19th century. Shirvan group. Azerbaijan.
Foreign travelers,
merchants, and geographers
visiting Shirvan at different
periods wrote about
weaving carpets and the
carpet products found in
homes. While describing
the crusade of Arabs into
Azerbaijan, the well-known
Arab historian Abu Jafar
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-
Tabari (838-923) noted that
in the year 22 AH (642),
very beautiful carpets were
woven in the northwest
region of Azerbaijan, in the
Shirvan province.
Fragment from mafrash. Wool. Flat-weave.
19th century Shirvan group. Agsu. Azerbaijan.