WORLD CRAFTS COUNCIL
(WCC AISBL) INTERNATIONAL
Tabriz (Iran)
Tabriz is considered by many to be the carpet weaving centre of the world and as a pole of production and innovation. Tabriz city is located in the west of East Azerbaijan Province in far east and south east of Tabriz plain. It is an ancient city and its bazaar is one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Tabriz Historical Bazaar Complex is one of the most important international commercial centres on the path of the Silk Road. Due to its location, it has been considered one of the largest and most important commercial centres of the West and East for many centuries.
The historical background of handicrafts in East Azerbaijan Province is very significant and deep, the most important examples of which include: mosaic tile works of Blue Mosque (9th Hijri Century), tile works of Alishah Mosque (8th & 9th Hijri Centuries) and samples of pottery discovered from iron age museum site of Tabriz (2nd Millennium B.C.), decorative works on guns and rhytons of B.C. millennium, formation of the first and second painting schools of Tabriz (7th to 10th Hijri Centuries).
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Carpet Weaving in Azerbaijan Province, Iran
Carpet weaving schools of Azerbaijan can be studied in three sectors:
A- Urban weaving sector which takes place in Tabriz,
B- Rural weaving sector which is mostly in Heris and Goravan villages,
C- Nomadic sector that includes products woven by tribes and nomads of Azerbaijan.
Tabriz: This city is located at the center of East Azerbaijan province with lots of experiences that dates back to old times. The image of this city is very clear at least within the past millennium. As the historians say, the passengers have told about the prosperity and development of this city, the glory that introduced this city as a commercial city that exports silk and wool textiles during Seljuks era.
The parts destroyed by Mongols were renovated with a double glory by Ilkhanis, especially by their wise minister, Khajeh Rashideddin Fazlollah. Weaving different types of carpets with variable designs and colors illustrates the high mastery of designers and weavers over carpet weaving techniques in this city and what introduces Tabriz as the worlds’ carpet capital is the result of experiences and hard working of masters of this technique during the centuries.
A large scope of urban carpet-weaving regions in Azerbaijan and even out of this province is influenced by Tabriz weaving style and this effect has been developing during the last 50 years. For example, cities such as Urmia has been producing carpets with Tabriz style in the recent years, while no record is mentioned for this city in carpet history.
Weaving Method & Production Culture: Weaving Tabriz carpet with symmetric knots (Turk knots, which is called Giurd in some resources) and Daymand calls it Giurds. Double-weft tight weaving with symmetric knots is dominant method of carpet weaving in Tabriz. This method is common in all urban regions of Azerbaijan which are considered as weaving scope of Tabriz; although methods such as single-weft flat method and methods with asymmetric knots are seen in historical carpets of Tabriz. Double-weft tight weaving method is common in all urban regions of Azerbaijan which are considered as weaving scope of Tabriz. .