ACraftIndependent states
Sericulture and silk
The tradition of raising silkworms and weaving silk, with Shaki as its centre, inscribed as multinational UNESCO heritage in 2022.
Azerbaijan lay on the Great Silk Road, and silk-making developed here in ancient times: mulberry trees are planted, silkworms raised, and the cocoons reeled into silk and dyed.
For centuries Shaki was a silk town, exporting its silk to Europe and Russia. A silk mill still works there today, producing kelaghayi and other silk goods.
"Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving" was inscribed by UNESCO in 2022 on a joint nomination by Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Sources
Updated: October 1, 2026