By Laman Ismayilova

Azerkhalcha has awarded the winners of the Zafar (Victory) project, a competition dedicated to Azerbaijan's victory in the Second Karabakh War, Azernews reports.

Veterans of the 44-day Patriotic War working in various positions at Azerkhalcha workshops, many public and cultural figures and contest participants attended the presentation of four winning carpets that are included in the Zafar collection.

The large-scale presentation took place at the Azerkhalcha sales and exhibition hall in Icherisheher.

The winners of the contest include Fidan Ilham (first place), Aytaj Alakbarli (second place), Tahmina Mammadova (third place), and Maya Ibadli (fourth place).

Fidan Ilham and her carpet 'Those who brought us the victory'

The key elements of Fidan Ilhama's carpet are the Karabakh horses, combined into a powerful force. Famous Russian artist Vasily Vereshagin wrote in his memoirs in 1870: 'The best horses I have seen in my life belong to Khan Jafargulu of Shusha.'

That is why Fidan Ilham wanted to associate Karabakh horses with Azerbaijan's brave warriors in her carpet. The heads of the horses are tied together. The reason for this is that our fighters fought side by side for 44 days. The double letters on the horses are the initials of the names and surnames of our martyrs. The space between the horses has a stylized flame element. This means fires that will never go out in Azerbaijan. And most importantly, the word Allah (God) written in Arabic in the center of the carpet is a sign that our martyrs have reached the highest peak, that is, heaven.

Aytac Alakbarli and her carpet 'Iron Fist'

Bees are the basis for the promotion of the 'Iron Fist' carpet. Bees are mentioned in the Holy Koran, and Aytac Alakbarli compares her hard work and the productivity of bees: 'I will not touch the one who touches me, and I will always run to the sweet.'

Aytac Alakbarli described the bee in her work as a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 'Iti qovan' (Dog Chaser). The clouds on the carpet symbolize that we are always ready to fight from the sky.

The hands protecting the fire are the 'Eternal Flame' in the Alley of Martyrs. The meaning of the flame is that we will never forget our martyrs.

Tahmina Mammadova and her carpet 'Return'

'For me victory means renewal and I have based my rug design on this idea. The carpet's main border, I stylized with the flame as a bush. The ornament in the flame symbolizes the fighters. At the same time, fire is a sign of the stage of purification. In the middle ground, life after the war is already reviving, the rain that falls cleanses and nourishes the plant. The sunflower is a symbol of the sun and fertility, which means that our nature has been revived after our land has returned to us. I stylized the cloud as a spiral, which is a symbol of growth and movement. I also showed the tree as a savior and protector from natural disasters. Thanks to a variety of ancient symbols in Azerbaijani carpets, I could enrich my carpet with modern ones.

Maya Ibadli and her carpet 'The Gates to Paradise'

'In my carpet composition `The Gates to Paradise', I reflected on our desire for Victory after many years of longing for Karabakh, a paradise corner of Azerbaijan, Shusha, which is an impregnable fortress. I dedicate 'Gates to Paradise' to the heroes and blessed memory of martyrs, who with their blood gave us Victory. I enriched this composition with my feelings, emotions, and love for the Motherland. As our genius poet Samad Vurgun said, 'Every great victory comes with patience,' she said.

Recall that out of hundreds of young people, who applied for the best Zafar carpet competition, announced in July 2021, only 13 people passed the selection stage and participated in the training.

During the month-long training, young designers and artists shared their experiences with both local and foreign experts. Training took place both theoretically and practically.

Announced by Azerkhalcha, the carpet competition, timed to the Memorial Day and the 44-day Patriotic War anniversary, has been concluded.

Photo Credits: Vugar Imanov

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