Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General (DG) of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), expressed his admiration for the rare artifacts he saw in the National Carpet Museum in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. He considered that the Museum, which carries the country’s cultural identity to future generations, exhibits rare carpets, some of which are centuries old, that tell the history of Azerbaijan.

The DG affirmed that he was keen to see the Museum’s collections during his visit to Azerbaijan from January 11 to 15, as it is one of the most prominent museums that include the largest collection of rare carpets in the world, explaining that the Museum’s collections show the stages of social development and history of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Each artifact bears the name of one of the country’s seven carpet-making schools (Qoba, Baku, Shirwan, Ganja, Gazakh, Karabag and Tabriz).

After touring the Museum and listening to its Director’s presentation on the history of the Museum, Dr. AlMalik praised the Musuem’s use of the modern technology to provide access to its rare collections for all categories, including those with special needs. The musuem allows touching duplicates of artifacts and presents on a screen adjacent to each piece how and when it was made as well as providing the possibility to listen to the story of each item.

Dr. AlMalik pointed out that the establishment of the Museum and the way each rare carpet artifact was obtained confirm Azerbaijan’s keenness to preserve its heritage and identity, and the pride the country takes in all the components of this heritage, explaining that ICESCO provides all support to its Member States in the field.