Azerbaijani, UAE presidents tour historic Shusha Carpet Museum branch PHOTO

On September 16, Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, visited the Shusha branch of the National Carpet Museum.

The UAE president was informed about the activities of the branch, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The building of the Shusha branch of the National Carpet Museum, constructed in the second half of the 19th century, is located in the upper quarter of the city. Since the building became unusable during the occupation and its historical appearance was altered, restoration work was launched there by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in 2021.

Taking into account the risk posed to the art pieces preserved in the branch during the occupation, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum organized their evacuation on February 29, 1992. As a result, 183 out of 246 exhibits from the Shusha branch’s collection were brought to Baku. While the city remained under occupation, the Shusha branch continued its activities within the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.

Today, alongside the exhibits once evacuated—mainly belonging to the 18th–20th centuries—the museum also showcases valuable carpets that have been added to the branch’s collection in recent years. In total, 115 pile and flat-woven carpets, carpet products, archaeological materials, national embroidery and costume sets, as well as examples of jewelry and artistic metalwork are once again on display at the museum.

By Vafa Guliyeva