A Comparative Study of the Structure of Ardabil Carpet Design and Motif with Azerbaijan Carpet

Ardabil region, as one of the carpet-weaving regions of Iran, has been connected with the Republic of Azerbaijan from the point of view of cultural geography. In the past, the Republic of Azerbaijan was a part of Iran. According to the Treaty of Turkmen Chai and Golestan, during the reign of FathAli Shah Qajar, the territory of the Caucasus was handed over to Tsarist Russia. For this reason, many handwoven motifs have interacted and exchanged with each other over time. Among the objectives of the research, while examining the common motifs in Ardabil and Azerbaijan carpets, explaining the characteristics of the motifs in the carpet, and comparing these works of art. The main question of the current research is, considering the proximity and cultural connections of Ardabil with the Republic of Azerbaijan, what effect has it had on the structure of the design and motif of the carpet during the last one hundred years? In this way, this research was conducted using documentary sources and related articles in a comparative-analytical method based on explanation and of the isolation type, and it was analyzed by qualitative analysis method. The findings of the research, according to the studies, show that the carpet weaving industry in Ardabil peaked during the Safavid era, and until today, when it was separated from East Azerbaijan province, it has preserved the originality of its design and motif. According to the selection of samples in the carpets of the Ardabil region and the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Shirvan, Quba, Kazakh, and Lankaran) In terms of structure and form in the design and most of the motifs shown as bergamot in the carpet, it is similar. The differences are mostly seen in the small motifs, color, motifs and the number of borders that these similarities are the result of cultural roots and the differences are derived from the stylistic characteristics of each region that have been separated from each other over time and distance.