Medieval Azerbaijani art

Abstract

     When speaking of Azerbaijani art, carpets are the first thing that comes to mind. The history of carpet weaving dates back to ancient times. The patterns and depictions on carpets have been passed down through centuries. Today, the beauty of these carpets has reached us, especially through examples from the 18th and 19th centuries. The fame of Azerbaijani carpets has spread worldwide, primarily created within several carpet-weaving schools. Among the most famous are the Tabriz, Ganja, Gazakh, Guba-Shirvan, and Karabakh schools. Beautiful embroidery, jewelry, and other branches of decorative and applied arts have also contributed invaluable gems to Azerbaijani cultural heritage.

    One of the most remarkable aspects of 18th-19th century Azerbaijani visual art is its wall paintings. Wall paintings from this period, such as those found in Shaki, Shusha, Guba, and Lahij, continue to amaze us today. The murals of Shaki Khan’s Palace were painted at various times by masters like Abbasgulu, Ganbar Garabagi, Aligulu, and Gurbanali. Here, one can find motifs from the animal and plant world, hunting and battle scenes, and images of famous characters from Nizami’s poems “Khosrow and Shirin,” “The Seven Beauties,” and “Leyli and Majnun.”

    In 1828, Azerbaijan was divided into two parts, with Northern Azerbaijan becoming a province of the Russian Empire.