Kuba is the capital of the Kuba district in the Azerbaijan Republic and a center of the rug weaving industry. Qadim Kuba [Old Kuba] is a rug company in this town that made rug weaving a tradition in the area. The most famous Kuba Rug, “Golu Chichi,” dates back to 1700 and is currently in the Metropolitan Museum.

Where is Kuba?

Kuba is a town (also Romanized as Quba, Guba, Kuwa) on the northeastern slopes of Shahdag [ King’s mountain]. It sits on the right bank of the Kudyal River in Azerbaijan. There are still ruins of an ancient castle that locals claim belongs to the Sassanid King Anushirvan the Righteous.

Once, this city was the center for a district south of Derbend, formerly a khanate owing periodic allegiance to Persia.

Like other Transcaucasian khanates, Kuba Khanate was occupied by Czarist Russia in the early 19th century. Northern parts of the old Azerbaijan were formally annexed to the Russian Empire in 1813.

Technical Aspects and Structure of The Kuba Rug

Kuba rug is the finest hand-knotted among all Caucasian rugs. Mostly small in size, they have an average knot density of 115 knots per square inch. Knots are symmetrical (Turkic).

Wool is the primary raw material in Kuba. Wefts may be either cotton or wool. Rug and runner sizes are popular, including very long runners. Kuba Kilims are also high in quality and resemble tapestries. People usually use Kilims to decorate the walls.

Dyeing and Painting of The Kuba Rugs

Kuba rug weavers are best-known for their coloring genius. The master dyers get the most saturated hues. Then, the weavers bring life to their complicated or straightforward geometric shapes with those dyes.

Madder provides several shades and makes look energetic. Deep yellow, camel, azure, pistachio, apricot, cream, and dark green are used artistically for both dominant and secondary colors.

Designs and Patterns of the Kuba Rugs

All designs are geometric here. Rows of medallions make the significant structure for rugs and Kilims, like in all Caucasia. In Kuba, the central part of such repeating medallions is a diamond with arrows projecting from both ends.

The Alpin Kuba is a famous design in Kuba. It consists of a medallion surrounded by four elongated hexagons. Another renowned design of this town is “Chichi,” which is a margin design.

It’s a distinctive margin consisting of diagonal bars alternating with large blossoms. Borders are also crucial in the Kilims of Kuba.