Dragon

The “Dragon” carpets are renowned as some of the most beautiful creations of the Garabagh carpet school. With their unique structure, they often depict various mystical animals. These types of rugs were predominantly woven in Garabagh, Shirvan, and Guba between the 16th and 18th centuries. Some textile fragments with dragon motifs have survived from the Ilkhanid period (13th – 14th centuries). In examples of Azerbaijani decorative-applied art, the dragon symbolizes positive energy. In Azerbaijani folk literature, it can also symbolize water sources. In ancient Turkic mythology, dragons like “Büke,” “Evren,” “Kök-luu,” and “Abyrga” symbolize might and power. Some historical sources reference the “Dragon City” of the ancient Huns. In Kipchak culture, the “Begsha” dragon was seen as a symbol of the family hearth. Numerous pile and flat-woven carpets from the Safavid period also depict dragon motifs.