Dragon

The “Dragon” carpets are regarded as some of the most exquisite examples from the Garabagh carpet school. Featuring a unique structure, they typically portray various mythical animals. These 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 Ilkhanids period (13th – 14th centuries). In Azerbaijani decorative art, a solitary dragon image symbolizes positive energy and, in folk literature, can also represent water sources. In ancient Turkic mythology, dragons like “Büke,” “Evren,” “Kök-luu,” and “Abyrga” symbolize might and power. Historical sources mention the “Dragon City” of the ancient Huns. In Kipchak culture, the “Begsha” dragon symbolized the family hearth. Additionally, several pile and flat-woven carpets from the Safavid period also depict dragon motifs.