KRF participates in the III International Carpet Festival as an official partner - FOTO - VIDEO
The Karabakh Revival Fund (KRF) participated as an official partner in the III International Carpet Festival, held on 2–3 May in Icherisheher, the historic center of Baku.
Organised by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azerkhalcha OJSC and the Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO), the festival annually brings together thousands of local and international visitors and serves as one of the country’s principal platforms for showcasing Azerbaijan’s carpet-weaving heritage to a global audience.
The Fund created an interactive public space at Gala Square — a multi-format environment designed to engage festival-goers in the story of Garabagh’s revival through the language of culture, craft, and shared participation.
The unity of cultural heritage and revival
In the creative zone set up within the Fund’s stand, ten talented young students from the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts created unique artworks inspired by the distinctive ornaments and colour palettes of Garabagh carpets.Alongside them, a dedicated weaving corner invited visitors of all ages to take part in the weaving of a Garabagh carpet, working side by side with master weavers from Azerkhalcha.
An interactive digital corner presented the Fund’s activities and the progress of restoration works underway across the liberated territories. Visitors were also able to make donations on the spot and, in return, receive a symbolic olive sapling — a small living gesture of peace, sustainability, and personal participation in the revival of Garabagh.
The interactive puzzle game “Pearls of Garabagh” drew particular interest from guests of all ages, who symbolically “restored” images of Garabagh’s historical and cultural monuments and received commemorative gifts.
Distinguished guests and a comprehensive presentation
Among those who visited the Fund’s space was Tamar Bagrationi, First Lady of Georgia, who was presented with the book “Revival of Karabakh: The Story of Azerbaijan’s Renaissance”, prepared at the initiative of the Karabakh Revival Fund.
The Fund’s interactive stand also welcomed Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Karabakh Revival Fund.
Among the guests were also Hijran Huseynova, Chairperson of the Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs of the Milli Majlis, Bahar Muradova, Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, Emin Mammadov, Chairman of the Executive Board of Azerkhalcha OJSC, Rufat Mahmud, Chairman of the Board of the “Icherisheher” State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration, and Saadat Yusifova, Deputy Minister of Culture, alongside other officials and public figures.
Guests were also briefed on the innovative book project “Revival of Karabakh: The Story of Azerbaijan’s Renaissance”, developed at the Fund's initiative as a comprehensive narrative of the country’s post-liberation reconstruction journey.
A symbolic conclusion
At the close of the festival, a ceremonial cutting of the symbolic thread of the Garabagh carpet, woven on a traditional loom installed at the Fund’s stand throughout the two days, was held in keeping with longstanding national customs, with sweets scattered over the carpet to mark its completion.
The cutting was performed jointly by Rahman Hajiyev, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Karabakh Revival Fund, together with Rufat Mahmud, Chairman of the Board of the “Icherisheher” State Historical-Architectural Reserve Administration, and Emin Mammadov, Chairman of the Executive Board of Azerkhalcha OJSC.
The Fund’s participation in the III International Carpet Festival reaffirmed a guiding principle of its mission: that the revival of Garabagh is not only a matter of infrastructure and institutions, but also of culture, memory, and shared participation — woven knot by knot, with every contribution counted.
