Dragon

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