The carpet-weaving in Azerbaijan set in ancient times. This is the oldest type of applied art as follows from many archeological explorations on sites of the country.
It was a master of genius in the carpet-weaving and people’s artist of Azerbaijan Latif Kerimov who first stressed the necessity of preservation and development of this cultural heritage. It was his efforts that made it possible to create the world’s first profile museum specializing in exploring the centuries-long handicrafts the collection of material started in 1967 and just in 1972 first visitors were able to look at rarity objects. A place for exposition was very successful, ancient carpets got organically integrated into interiors of ancient building of “Juma-mosque” in the hard of Icherisheher.
From the very date of its foundation, the unique exposition was supplemented not only by carpets but also by other patterns of the national Azerbaijani art.
At present, the exposition numbers above 14,000 exhibits, including rare carpets refined jewelry, clothes, embroidery, and contemporary glass, wood and felt items. In other words, today the museum is a true treasure of the traditional culture of the republic.
The museum of carpet includes various schools and skills from all over the republic covering different stages of the development of this art. Worthy of note are pieces of Tabriz carpet “Ovchulug” and Karabakh “Dragon carpet” both enwoven in the 17 century, as well as a carpet “Hila Afshan” of the 18 century from a village of Hila.
The museum staff is engaged in meticulous work aimed at preservation and popularization of the given cultural heritage. Numerous round tables, exhibitions and symposiums, including the UNESCO aegis are held. In August 2014, the relics found their new excellent home – a palace in the form of folded carpet. Authors of the project were well-known Austrian architects Franz Yans and Walter Mari.
It has to be kept in mind that the exposition of the Museum has repeatedly been exhibited in more than 50 countries and nearly all world continents. Nowadays, the Museum is the leading research center which attracts researchers and connoisseurs of applied art from all over the world.

If you want to get in touch with antiquity and see famous relics with your own eyes and hear epic history of the Azerbaijani people, you should attend the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan.
It must be said that the very building of the museum is a monument of culture: exhibits are stored at a luxurious palace of the later 19 century built by famous patron of arts and philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev.
The essential point to remember is that the doors of the Museum first opened for visitors in 1921, and since that a meticulous work is done to create a unique collection. At present, there are more than 300,000 units of artifacts in the store-room of the mansion. These include historical fateful documents; weapons; articles of medieval consumption; jewelry; refined hand-woven carpets; shabby books, etc.
Owing to the immensity of collection, the visitors can familiarize themselves with a small part of it, though an area of the exhibition is impressive deeply. It stretched out on 3,000 sq. m museum exhibits are reflective of the history of the country from early epoch to our days. For convenience, the exposition is divided into 6 department – ancient period and the Middle Ages, new period, modernity, numismatics, ethnography, as well as research-education department.
Today, the Museum is a leading scientific center. It has a laboratory on restoration of rarity objects, production group, and research commission to supplement the exposition.