Dragon

The “Dragon” carpets are among the most beautiful examples of the Garabagh carpet school. Featuring a unique structure, they typically 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 dragon motifs have survived from the Ilkhanid period (13th – 14th centuries). In Azerbaijani decorative-applied arts, the dragon image, when used 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, with historical sources mentioning the “Dragon City” of the ancient Huns. In Kipchak culture, the “Begsha” dragon was seen as a symbol of the family hearth. A number of pile and flat-woven carpets from the Safavid period also feature a dragon motif.