Dragon

The “Dragon” carpets are regarded as some of the most beautiful examples from the Garabagh carpet school. Featuring a unique structure, they often depict images of various mystical animals. These types of rugs were primarily woven in Garabagh, Shirvan, and Guba between the 16th and 18th centuries. Some textile fragments featuring a dragon motif have survived from the Ilkhanid period (13th – 14th centuries). In Azerbaijani decorative-applied arts, the dragon image, when used alone, symbolizes positive energy, and it may also represent water sources in Azerbaijani folk literature. In ancient Turkic mythology, dragons such as “Büke,” “Evren,” “Kök-luu,” and “Abyrga” symbolize might and power. Some historical sources mention the “Dragon City” of the ancient Huns. In Kipchak culture, the “Begsha” dragon symbolizes the family hearth. Several pile and flat-woven carpets from the Safavid period also depict a dragon motif.