Marasali (Gobustan, Qobustan) Rugs
Maraza (Gobustan, Qobustan) is a town and municipality in and the administrative center of the Gobustan Rayon of Azerbaijan. Gobustan District (Qobustan rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the east of the country and belongs to the Mountainous Shirvan Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Shamakhi, Khizi, Absheron, and Hajigabul. The district’s administrative centre, Gobustan was known as Maraza until 2009. The territory of Gobustan ranges from the shores of the Caspian Sea to Mount Gijaki, the highest point in the eastern part of the Greater Caucasus.
Maraza is probably the source of antique prayer rugs trended as ‘Marasali’. Located south of Shamakhi, the ancient capital of Shirvan, therefore Marasali prayer rugs are categorized under Shirvan designs. During the 19th century rug productions flourished in the former Khanate of Shirvan. Some of these pieces are considered the best of Caucasian antique rugs.
Technical aspects and the structure of Marasali Rugs
Pieces woven in Marasali are chiefly prayer rugs Antique Shirvan rugs have an average knot density of 113 knots per square inch. Knots are symmetrical (Turkic). Warps and Piles are woolen. Wefts may be either cotton or wool.
Dyeing and painting of Marasali rugs
Fields of Marasali rugs may be either camel, beige, orange, red, dark blue or black (undyed black wool). Marasali pieces with black fields are popular, known as “Black Marasalis”.
Ivory, dark indigo and madder red serve mostly as dominant colors. The ivory is normally undyed wool Yellow, camel, azure, and olive are some secondary colors as well as madder rosy and pink. Boteh motifs are normally painted multicolored.
Designs and patterns of the Marasali rugs
Pieces woven in Marasali are chiefly prayer rugs under their niche of which filled with colorful motifs (mostly diagonal rows Botehs). Representing both flame and cypress, boteh (buta) is deeply associated with Zoroaster and the Iranian ancient faith. Marasali rugs may be designed with various geometrized interpretations of boteh.
A lattice of lozenges may frame the field’s motifs. Inside lozenges may be filled in some pieces with simple branches or other stylized plant-shaped motifs. Some Marasali prayer rugs have pictorial designs consisting large figures of humans and animals, telling perhaps a story.
