Carpet weaving in Azerbaijan

Because Azerbaijan has vast pastures, agricultural lands and alpine, natural suitable climate, ever its territory has had a special station in carpet making. Carpets and rugs which are woven by these zone villagers have a tight structure (closely knit structure) and long piles. They are coarse-grained and brimful of geometrical and cursive designs. These carpets which have deep and dark colors narrate about hard-working, persevering and contented people. These people who have a nature as constant as a mountain look at carpet only as a warm floor covering.

Villagers have become used to carpet-weaving in long wintry seasons and unemployment times inevitability. Although inclination to weave a carpet had been obligatory in some areas for lack of agricultural readiness and earth unkindness, however in more propitious conditions, as well agriculture has been confronted with less success and ripened less especially in western areas (Orumye, Khoi) and its east, Tavalesh. Carpet weaving in Azerbaijan is also two types like other areas. One type is woven in city and another type is woven in village, but in this rural division Herriss places in a separate group from particular factors view point.

1.Urban-weave carpet weaving area with Tabriz type apart from Tabriz, Marand and Maragheh includes Sarab, Mianeh and Meshkin shahr from particular qualities view point, too.

2.Herriss and its neighbor area will include Herriss, Gravan, villages on the outskirts and also Ahar, Sharabian and its suburbs.

3.Rural-weave area is more usual in towns of East-Azerbaijan: Khalkhal, Ardabil, Meshkin shahr, northern parts of Arasbaran, Sarab, Mianeh and Hasht Rood.

■ Tabriz carpet

Tabriz is among carpet weaving centers, thereby it can profit a lot. Tabriz designers and carpet weavers aren’t fettered to prejudices. They enjoy any beautiful design and combine different designs with each other and at last they present a design that its every part belongs to an area. Mixedness of Kerman Toranj, Mashhad Lachak and Kashan fringe in Tabriz carpet weaving creates a design which is desirable and pleasant. Some designs aren’t so distant from the primary design and keep its features. A model which is more common in Tabriz and urban-weave areas is Eslimi, Shah Abbassi, different kinds of Lachak Toranj. Afshane Sartasari model ( Bashabash) is one of Shah Abbasssi’s design. Different kinds of  Shekargah, Sheikh Saffi, Manzareh and Chahar Fasl ( 4 seasons), Zir Khaki, Botteh Termee, different kinds of Mahi, Derakhti, Goldani, Shamaadani, Hashti 2 va 4 Rang ( 2and4 colors), Gabi, Gol Hanaiee, Gol Farang, Gooblan Bijar, Se Gol, Goba and (Dashti Goba), Looleh-baf Charkh Falaki are among designs which are used. What is wonderful in weaving these carpets and rugs using tens of colors which are used only for presenting color and lines of personages’ faces.

At present urban carpet weaving style isn’t allocated to Tabriz and many villages, areas, cities and hamlets of Azerbaijan have accepted its criterions, standards and effects. Urban carpet weaving is also common in Marand and suburban villages. One of this area’s special characteristic is self-color, famous Kheshti (Bakhtiari) model. This type of carpet is woven using not painted wool. Rug and side carpet are usually produced in Sarab and Ardabil, but productions of Ardabil looms have many variety from size and number of rows point of view as compared with other areas. Big carpets with Mahi model which has been extracted from Bijar’s designs are produced a lot in Sarab. Urban-weave style has followers in Mianeh, Meshkinshahr and Tarom village of Khalkhal.

 Characteristics■

Darhaee (staffs) which are used in urban weave area, one could name Tabriz Dar and spinning. These are Tabriz people’s special innovations. Tabriz Dar is formed of 4 simple wooden containing two-headed which are named up and down beam in Shabstar and Atloog and Oustlug in Ardabil and in some case they are called up and down Areen that are connected to each other by Doyan or Banlog. Two posts are used as support for Dar’s more firmness that its connection to up head is called Koolfeh.Dar arranging can be done by kooji and haf and carpet weaver sits on a lumber which is called Kharachi or Takhtehband locally and when weaving is progressed, they pull down carpet by loosening knots. Wraping (Boy chakmakh)

and pulling down the carpet which need more proficiency are done by master or caliph.

 Wool■

Staple part of wool which is needed in Azerbaijan is supplied in area itself, especially Maku, Khoi, Mahabad, Dasht-E-Moghan and Orumye because Azerbaijan is one of the animal husbandry and sheep breeding centers.Khoi and Maku sheepwool is more white and it is of very high quality from softness, length of fibers and pellucidity view point and Mahabad and Orumye’s sheepwool is colorful. Dasht-E-Moghan sheep have coarse wool and it is used in second-class carpets. Sheepwool are shorn twice a year. Wools’ spinning are done by women using small hand-operated machines which are called Jahreh (Kalafche) locally and they give spinning factories raw yarn which has a specific number for spinning. Luminosity and elegance of Tabriz carpets are among special characteristic that one should seek its reason in polishing and pile shortnessof woven wool. Because Tabriz people shorten wool pile when polishing. Result of this action is to economize in the use of wool and luminosity of model. The knot which is used in weaving Tabriz carpets is Turkish knot. Measure of row is counter which is 7c.m. contrary to other areas and its zaraa (unit of length= 41 inches) is 11c.m. contrary to common zaraa in Tehran that is called Arshin. Transactions’ unit is square meter, but another measure, called rug, is also used which is equal to Tabriz 2 square zaraa or 35 ponzeh or 2 Arshins and 3 ponzeh (knot=7c.m).

■ Color

Most of Iran carpets have particularly colors that most of them are common in weaving locality and one can distinguish weaving locality to some extent by colors. For example red in Arak, crimson in Mashhad and Bijar, buff in Kerman, alizarin red in Hamadan, Sarband and Herriss, white in Gom and Naeen, deep blue in Fars tribal carpets and north of Khorasan are among the common colors, but special colors are used for weaving carpets in Tabriz contrary to other areas and only taking into consideration different tastes is determining carpets’color.

Natural colors of Azerbaijan carpets consist of: alizarin (rose-colored), cochineal (rose-colored and fiery red), yellow weed (yellow). Indigo and yellow combine to form grass green and  olive green. Mousy color (dark grey) or black soil which is called Gareh torpakh locally, is extracted from Arasbaran Mishebare mines.

■ Herriss area carpet

Azerbaijan towns have more originality in design, model and color because of their remoteness from centers and deprivation of cultural and economic exchanges with other areas. Herriss in center of Azerbaijan and eastern-north of Tabriz is an important center of area that its products are made especially in Gravan, Mehrban, Sarab, Garacheh and  Bakhshayesh that Herriss has outrun other centers for weaving various and pleasant designs. Common aspect of all models is geometrical lines which is formed of combination of horizontal, vertical and slant lines. Lachak and Toranj designs form by change of slant, vertical and horizontal lines. Lachak and Toranj designs are produced by lines change from curve to straight and changing revolving designs to cursive with the same characteristics. These kinds of models are woven subjectively and small models which have been woven on a piece of cloth are used if necessary.

 Bakhshayesh-Gravan■

Bakhshayesh has a high rank among zones in Herriss area for producing beautiful and attractive side-carpets that they give them special beauty by using blue, buff red and brick-red. Big herbal models which are inspired of Herriss models repeat throughout the context contrary to Sarab products. Wrap and woof of all Herriss, Gravan suburbs, Sarab, Mehrban and Bakhshayesh are cotton and principally wools are coarse. In some rugs like Bolordi rugs, two wefts are woven above the knots’ row instead of one weft excepcionally. The important knot is Turkish-weave in the zone that its knots are 600-1000 per square decimeter. In some rugs that are more thick and coarse, these numbers are changeable from 1000 to1500 knots per square decimeter. These areas’ carpet weavers cut piles longer habitually. Coarsely-woven and roughness are characteristic of carpets woven in Herriss, Gravan, Bakhshyesh and Mehrban.

 Ahar-Abhar■

Ahar towns and its suburbs has also accepted Herriss style. Sharabian village is also counted among Herriss in this division  where they weave big,one-woof carpets because model and size of its carpets aren’t unlike tp Ahar’s model but their design has less geometrical manner and fine weave and desired quality give it special fame. Most of the designs have almost big Toranj that big leaves embrace it. Ahar and Abhar don’t have various models and their carpet quality is stiff and tight. It has dark colors, geometrical designs and durability.

 Sarab■

In design of Sarab carpets, ornamental combination forms of 4 Lachaks and one long medallion. These medallions ’circumferences or outer edge is serrated and more crooked and mainly with camel hair context. Lachakha with light brick-blue designs are very similar to central medallion. Collection of these designs (Medallion-Lachak) are located in contexts filled of stems, flowers’ branches and palmy leaves. Geometrical combination evolves in edges which form of three parts and places background, geometrical pictures and serrated leaves that repeat alternately in it. Sarab side rugs often are soft and almost long and they have more fine weave than Herriss rugs.

 Garache■

Garache also in eastern-north of Herriss is among the most important areas that is famous for having very different side carpets in Herriss carpet weaving area compared with other areas. These side carpets that one weft is used in weaving them have very fine weave and suitable polish. They are known as Garache side carpets in Europe market. Context of rugs and side carpets is usually alizarin red and edges are dark blue and most of them have a geometrical Toranj in the middle and two other Toranjes which are different of central Toranj at the two sides. In some cases, this design sometimes also repeats in carpet context several times. Garache rugs also have geometrical designs and very small pictures in edges and context.

 Ardabil■

Ardabil’s name always is mentioned along with Ardabil costly carpet name belonging to the 16^th century A.D. which is confiscated in Victoria and Albert museum. Although Ardabil had brilliant past record in weaving carpets in the past but nowadays it doesn’t have value and credit that other carpets have in world markets because of using same and monotonous designs and not using Ardabil genuine designs. Carpets which are produced in Ardabil are small and they are presented as a rug and called Kalagi or Mianeh locally. Ardabil rugs’ designs which are very similar to Gafgaz carpets form of geometrical designs.

Side-carpet size is more common and current in Ardabil’s suburbs and usual models consist of:Galami, Yourtchi, Gol Tapeh and Gol Nagsheh.

Ardabil products are very similar to Gafgaz carpets,but edges in Ardabil carpets are more efficient and their pile is longer and without elegance.

 Meshkin shahr■

In Meshkinshahr suburbs, rugs and side carpets are produced with long fibers and unusual sizes. This kind of products bring to mind Gafgaz hand-wovens more.

Shahsavanha

Shahsavan rugs have Kordi color and freshnesslike rugs of  Khorasan’s Balooch so that their two-weft products which have very stiff and fine weave and not so elegant bring to mind gipsy woven things. Shahsavan tribes’ product is Verny (used near the fire place), short-napped coarse carpet, traveling bag , sack and gunny sack.

■ Zanjan

Carpets produced in Zanjan which are produced in suburb villages, in fertile canyons from Abhar to Soltanieh aren’t as stiff and strength as Gravan and Herriss carpets and they also don’t have packing capacity and bending capacity like Tabriz carpets. These products are produced in small size and dimensions as rug. They have more desired colors than Gravan carpets. Dark blue, crimson (red) and cream are colors that Zanjan carpet weavers like them. Regardless of weaving rugs, weaving big carpets are also common. Although used models in Zanjan carpets are similar to Tabriz Afshan models and Tabriz special Lachak and Toranj are used in Zanjan carpets, but changes that are accomplished to these designs creat models that technicians know them as Zanjan model. Mahi dar ham and Bijar model are some of customary carpet models in this zone.

 Khoi, Marand, Maragheh■

Carpet and rugs woven in Khoi are like Zanjan’s from quality view point. It means that it is a stiff and tight carpet. It is carried with difficulty and it has the same design and color-scheme of Zanjan rugs. A kind of undesirable rug woven in Khoi is called Moosel in trade market and it is the cheapest kind in world market. Marand and Maragheh products are very similar to Zanjan carpet. Shahsavan and Azerbaijan tribe sects produce their products with inspiration of Tabriz suburbs designs.