The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum: A Symbol of National Identity and Heritage in a Post-Soviet Era

Abstract

This article outlines the history and overview of the modern Azerbaijan Carpet Museum located in Baku. It explores the museum’s efforts to document and educate the public about the art and cultural heritage of carpet weaving in Azerbaijan from fiber production to finished product, providing innovative approaches to curation, such has having live carpet weavers as part of the museum display. Furthermore, the article examines the role of the museum as not simply a repository for artefacts, but as a symbol for building a national identity and shared heritage among Azeri nationals in a post-Soviet Azerbaijan.