Shusha: Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, visited the Shusha branch of the National Carpet Museum.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the UAE President was informed about the activities of the branch during the visit.
The building hosting the Shusha branch of the National Carpet Museum was constructed in the second half of the 19th century and is located in the Yukhari Quarter of Shusha city. It underwent significant alterations and became unusable during the occupation, prompting restoration work initiated by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in 2021.
In light of the risk posed to the art pieces during the occupation, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum organized an evacuation of the exhibits on February 29, 1992. This effort successfully brought 183 out of 246 exhibits from the Shusha branch’s collection to Baku. Despite the city’s occupation, the Shusha branch continued its activities within the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum.
The museum now showcases not only the evacuated exhibits, mainly from the 18th to 20th centuries, but also valuable carpets added to the collection in recent years. Visitors can view 115 pile and flat-woven carpets, carpet products, archaeological materials, national embroidery and costume sets, as well as examples of jewelry and artistic metalwork on display at the museum.