Magically playing, the colours of carpets absorbed ruby brightness of pomegranate, golden brilliance of quince, copper of saffron and lilac tints of grapes. Inexhaustible richness of colours, inimitable in its beauty, interlacement of patterns, flight of artistic fantasy and consummate skill – that is Azerbaijan carpet. According to the historical sources, Azerbaijan was one of the most important centers of pile and flat – woven carpets production in the East in Middle Ages. Facts confirm that north-eastern part of Azerbaijan was a center of high quality carpets production in the VIVII centuries.

Famous Chinees traveller Khuan- Tesauk, who visited Iran in the VII century, wrote in his memoirs: "Azerbaijan is one of the largest centers of the carpet-making". Historian (VII c.) Moisey Kalankaituksky noted in "Agvan tarihi", that silk textiles and multicoloured carpets were manufactured in the northern part of Azerbaijan. In the manuscript" Khudud-AI-Alem" (X century) is marked, that Azerbaijani town of Mugan was famous for its Chuvals and Palases; towns of Nakhchevan, Khoi and Salmas – for Zili, Khali and sashes (belts); Ardabil and Shirvan – for coloured silk and woolen textiles.

Well-known historiographer Abu Jafar Mukhammed Tabari (X century) speaking of the occupation of Azerbaijan by Arabs, mentioned that in the north-eastern part of Azerbaijan were manufactured carpets of high quality. Historian and traveller Al Mukaddasi (X century) describing Azerbaijani town of Barda and its market, noted: "...silk and clothes are sold at this market... and carpets have no equals in the world"... Descriptions of the carpets are met in Azerbaijani classical literature as well, especially in the masterpieces of great Azerbaijan poets as Gatran Tabrizi (XI century), Nizami Ganjevi, Khagani Shirvani (XII century) and others.

In XIII century Venicean traveller Marko Polo wrote: "there are many skillful masters in Azerbaijan who produce textile, carpet and sabres widespread all over the world ". In the second half of the XVth century Azerbaijani carpet-makers began to use golden and silver threads, precious stones in the production of silk carpets. In XIII-XIV centuries Azerbaijani jewelry and carpets attracted European, especially Venicean merchants.

Having visited Azerbaijan dealers, travellers, ambassadors from different countries, exported picturesque carpets and carpet-ware as commodities and presents. And it’s not casually that we can find Azerbaijani carpets on the canvases of the famous European artists. We can observe them on the picture" Ambassadors" of Gans Golbein ; well-known artist Yan Van Eik painted his picture" Madonne of the Canon Van der Pale" with the Azerbaijan carpet "Kuba" on its background. In XVI-XVII centuries, in the epoch of Safavids, Azerbaijani art of carpet-making went through the stage of rapid development. In this period Tabriz, Ardabil, Shemakha, Baku, Ganja and Barda were considered to be the centres of carpet-making art. Being of highest quality and having superb techniques of fulfillment, ornamental carpets woven centuries ago in Shirvan, Karabakh, Apsheron, Kuba, Kazakh, Ganja, Mugan, Talysh now decorate great museums of Russia, Western Europe, and the United States of America. 90% of the carpets, especially fiat woven, known in the world by the name of "Caucasus" are primordial Azerbaijani carpets.

The first State Museum of the Carpet-making Art was established in 1967. The best examples of Azerbaijani carpets and carpet-ware were displayed there. The exposition of this unique Museum is decorated with the ancient carpets, woven in XVIII-XIX centuries and ornamental carpets of the Soviet period. The organization of above mentioned establishments by the Soviet State has created the necessary prerequisites for more serious study of the artistic, theoretical and technological aspects of the carpet-making art. According to the technology and artistic decision Azerbaijani carpets can be divided into flat-woven carpets and pile carpets.

There are 7 methods of flat-woven technique of carpet-weaving, which resemble tapestry. At the same time there are only two methods of pile carpet-weaving. Each Azerbaijan district is famous for its own original carpets and carpetware peculiar for the given zone. Palas, Jejim, Shedde, Kilim, Zili, Vami and others are considered to be Azerbaijani flat-woven carpets. Since ancient times such Azerbaijani flat-woven carpet-wares were widespread as khurjun (travelling bag), mafrash (similar to trunk), chul (popone), etc.

Since ancient times carpet-making in Azerbaijan was women’s business, who cautiously shared their experience from generation to generation. Composition, ornamentation and artistic methods were close and clear to every carpet-maker, no matter how complicated they were. It is evidently that from ancient times there was no woman in Karabakh, Barda, Shusha, who could not weave carpets. One of the main parts of girl's dowry was a complete-set of carpets ("Dastkhali-gabe") consisting of 3 or 4 carpets. A bride herself had to take part in weaving of such a complete-set. It is interesting to know that women, who came to seek a girl for marriage usually inquired about her skills at weaving carpets. In 1917 in 222 villages of Ganja district more than 33069 persons were engaged in carpet-making, that constitute 49% of the population and 56% of all the handicraftsmen of the district. In the same year 39979 persons from 97 out of 111 villages of Kuba district were carpet-makers and that number constitutes 81 % of the district handicraftsmen. Such figures may be met in the villages of Shirvan, Karabakh and Apsheron. These facts confirmed that carpet-making gained expansion and was one of the main spheres of applied arts in Azerbaijan.