The International Carpet Forum, held on the theme “Traditions and innovations in carpet weaving” at the Baku Business Center, featured five sessions.

The event gathered about 200 participants specialized in carpet industry, including leading experts, designers, manufacturers, and researchers from 11 countries, namely from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tatarstan, Romania, Latvia, Iran, Japan, and the UK.

The forum is held as part of the International Carpet Festival, co-organized by "Azerkhalcha" OJSC and the Administration of the State Historical-Architectural Reserve “Icherisheher”, with the support of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency of Azerbaijan - AZPROMO.

The first session explored International cooperation and global practices in carpet weaving, featuring speeches by Irina Koshoridze, Professor at the Tbilisi State University (Georgia), Inese Baranovska, Director of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (Latvia), Linda Rosenthal-Rose, representative of the Liepaja Museum (Latvia), and Doctor Ajap Bayriyeva, ethnographer and art historian (Turkmenistan).

The second panel discussion discussed traditions, changes, and cultural connections in carpet weaving, with speakers included Sumiyo Okumura, an Islamic and Turkish art historian (Japan), Chinara Beksultanova, PhD in History of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan), Stefano Ionescu, independent researcher on Oriental carpets (Romania), Lucy Upward, Editor of the Cover magazine (UK), and Karim Mirza, Professor at the Tabriz Islamic Art University (Iran).

The third panel discussion explored the topic of the carpet weaving in the contemporary art, including remarks from Olga Selezneva, Director of the Faig Ahmed Studio, Aydan Salahova, renowned artist and sculptor, Alsu Miftakhova, Director of the Resource Center for Implementation of Innovations and Preservation of Traditions in the Sphere of Culture of Tatarstan, and Saadat Alakbarova, Scientific Secretary of "Icherisheher" Museum Center.

The fourth session touched upon the role of the hand-carpet weaving in the modern era, including remarks by Ayjan Bekkulova, Chairperson of Kazakhstan’s Artisans Union, Amina Malikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Rena Nasirova-Mustafayeva, Deputy Head of Apparatus of the “Icherisheher” State Historical-Architectural Reserve, Elmira Gül, Professor of Uzbekistan’s State Academy of Art.

Finally, the fifth panel discussed the innovative approach to carpet weaving, featuring speeches of Rashad Alakbarov, prominent artist of Azerbaijan, and other experts.

The event proceeded with the Q&A session.

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