Borchaly Carpets: Preserving a Georgian Treasure

Borchaly Carpets are a true treasure of Georgian culture. Borchaly carpets originated in the 19th century in the region of Borchaly, which is now part of Azerbaijan.

These carpets are highly valued for their intricate designs and rich colors. The Borchaly carpet is a classic example of a traditional Georgian carpet.

The Borchaly carpet is often used as a symbol of wealth and status in Georgian culture. It's no wonder that Borchaly carpets are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts around the world.

The Borchaly carpet has a rich history that spans centuries, with its origins dating back to the Safavid rulers who displaced the Bozchalu tribe from Iran to Georgia's Marneuli region.

This tribe, made up of ethnic Azerbaijanis, brought with them their traditional carpet-weaving skills, which they had passed down from generation to generation.

Large villages in this region, including Gurdlar, Akhurly, Kachagan, Sadakhly, Dashtepe, and Lembeli, were once famous for carpet weaving and were connected to other carpet-weaving centers in the area.

Nearly every Azerbaijani woman in the region has woven stunning rugs for centuries, often teaching their daughters the skills they learned from their own mothers.

These antique rugs, known as Bordjalou, Lambalo, Karachopt, and Fachralo, are highly valued and often sold for several thousand USD at exclusive auction houses.

In the past, these carpets were woven to warm homes, as gifts, and as part of dowries, reflecting the daily life and culture of the community.

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Borchaly carpets are a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Azerbaijan, with their intricate designs and motifs reflecting the community's history and traditions.

In the ornamental motives of Borchaly carpets, you can see traces of totems or echoes of mythological beliefs. These motifs, once with a mystical and religious meaning, have been passed down through generations and have lost their religious significance.

Large villages in the Marneuli municipality, such as Gurdlar, Akhurly, and Kachagan, were once famous for carpet weaving, deeply connected to the carpet-weaving centers of Popagly and Garayazy.

The Tree of Life is the most common design of Borchaly carpets, often gifted as a wedding present or woven as part of the dowry, symbolizing a family's wealth and strength.

Borchaly carpets are woven on old wooden, upright looms, some of which are over 100 years old, provided by the Imperial Russian government to encourage craftsmanship in the region.

Their bold, ornamental, geometric, almost tribal rug design generally reflects mythological symbols, beliefs, and totems, with motifs such as gols (flowers), trees, birds, camels, and dogs.

The technique used for Borchaly carpets is different, with the tick wool used enabling the weaver to have fewer knots in one square inch, resulting in bolder and more graphic patterns.

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Borchaly carpets in Georgia have a rich history dating back centuries, with nearly every Azerbaijani woman weaving stunning rugs for generations.

The art of carpet weaving was once a thriving tradition in the region, with large villages like Gurdlar, Akhurly, and Kachagan famous for their intricate designs.

Mothers spent hours teaching their daughters the skills they learned from their own mothers, passing down the tradition from generation to generation.

These antique rugs, known as Borchalo, Lambalo, Karachopt, and Fachralo, are highly prized for their beauty and cultural significance, often selling for thousands of dollars at exclusive auction houses.

Unfortunately, modernization has pushed the ancient craft of rug weaving to the brink of extinction, with only a handful of women still practicing the art in Georgia.

The current state of weaving in the region is dire, with fewer than 15 women still crafting Borchalo carpets, and the knowledge of natural dyeing techniques being lost.

A non-profit organization, reWoven, has been working to revive the tradition, using naturally dyed hand-spun wool yarns and historical designs to create authentic Borchalo carpets.

Each rug is carefully crafted by a weaver, with a certificate ensuring its quality and origin, and a personal story behind its creation.

The price of a Borchalo carpet can range from $400 to several thousand dollars, depending on its size and complexity.

Rugs are sold online and shipped worldwide, with reWoven working with a handful of weavers to meet the demand.

The organization's goal is to preserve the traditional craft and provide economic benefits to the weavers and their communities.

In addition to Borchalo carpets, reWoven also creates other designs, including Karachop, Memling Gul, and Lezghi Star, which are highly prized for their beauty and cultural significance.

The organization's commitment to preserving traditional crafts and promoting cultural exchange is inspiring, and their work is helping to keep the art of Borchaly carpet weaving alive.

The current state of Borchaly carpets is quite concerning, with only two villages in Georgia and less than 15 women still practicing the ancient craft.

Unfortunately, modernization has pushed the traditional rug-weaving practice to the brink of extinction, with the average age of weavers being 50 and above.

The art of carpet weaving has almost entirely died out in recent decades, with women's interest waning as they began to focus on other activities.

Today, reWoven, a non-profit organization founded in 2007, keeps the tradition alive by working with a handful of weavers to create gorgeous Borchaly carpets.

Their carpets and rugs represent centuries-old aesthetics and methods, including using naturally dyed hand-spun wool yarns, historical designs, and hand weaving.

Each rug has a certificate ensuring its quality and origin, personal information about the weaver, and images of the process on the loom.

The price of 1 square meter of a Borchaly carpet at reWoven is 400 USD, with the earnings from the project remaining within the village, maximizing the benefits to the weavers.

Rugs and carpets are sold online and then shipped to customers worldwide, with more demand than they can meet with only a handful of weavers.

It takes anywhere between one and four months to complete the rug, depending on the size, design, and the weaver's availability.

reWoven gives its weavers flexibility by letting them decide how fast or slow they want to weave, and as Kosima explains, thankfully, the customers are very understanding.

They currently work with 12 women, but only five can weave anytime, and have a few other designs, including Karachop, Memling Gul, Lezghi Star, and more, which they can custom-make for customers.

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The revival of Borchalo carpet weaving is a heartwarming story. reWoven, a non-profit organization, is working tirelessly to revive this ancient craft.

Founded in 2007 by Ryan Smith, reWoven aims to preserve the traditional weaving techniques and methods of Borchalo carpets. The organization has successfully revived the art of carpet weaving in Georgia, with a team of 12 women who are skilled in the craft.

Each rug is made with high-quality materials, including naturally dyed hand-spun wool yarns and historical designs. The weavers still hand spin their own undyed white and black wool into yarn, while importing naturally dyed colored yarn from neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan.

The price of 1 square meter of a Borchalo carpet at reWoven is 400 USD, making it a valuable and unique piece of art. The organization's efforts have been successful, with more women showing interest in being involved in the project due to the financial and economic benefits it provides to the community.

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The traditional carpet-weaving techniques of Azerbaijani communities in Georgia are being preserved by reviving natural, local dyeing techniques for yarns instead of importing them from Baku.

In the future, Kosima hopes to revive natural, local dyeing techniques for its yarns, which will help maintain the authenticity of the antique rugs.

Mothers spent numerous hours weaving with their daughters beside them, imparting the skills they had learned from their own mothers, ensuring the tradition was passed down from generation to generation.

Large villages in the region, including Gurdlar, Akhurly, Kachagan, Sadakhly, Dashtepe, and Lembeli, were once famous for carpet weaving and were deeply connected to the carpet-waving centers of Popagly.

These antique rugs, known by the names Bordjalou, Lambalo, Karachopt, and Fachralo, are frequently spotlighted at the world’s exclusive auction houses and sold for several thousand USD.

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The art of carpet weaving in Borchali is a centuries-old tradition that's been passed down through generations of women. Unfortunately, modernization and the influx of machine-made carpets have pushed this ancient craft to the brink of extinction.

Only two villages, Kosalari and Iormughanlo (also known as Karachop), remain where you can find gorgeous Borchalo carpets in Georgia. These villages are home to a mere 15 women who still practice this traditional craft.

The average age of weavers in this region is 50 and above, which makes it a pressing concern that the current generation may not be able to pass on this tradition if action isn't taken. Thankfully, a non-profit organization called reWoven, founded in 2007, is working tirelessly to keep the tradition alive.

Borchalo carpets are known for their long pile and looser weave, resulting in a woolly silkiness that sets them apart from other types of carpets. The tick wool used in these carpets allows for fewer knots in one square inch, which means the patterns must be bolder and more graphic.

The Tree of Life is the most common design of Borchalo carpets, often gifted as a wedding present or woven as part of the dowry. In local mythology, the carpet symbolizes a family's wealth, while the tree is usually intended to be Cottonwood, a symbol of strength.

The incorporation of symbols like birds, dogs, and stars in Borchalo carpets mirrors the weavers' life experiences, traditions, and historical events. Their complex masterpieces interweave the essence of their culture, lifestyle, and past affairs, creating carpets rich not only in colors and patterns but also in storytelling.

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Today, reWoven is working with 12 women, but only five can weave at any given time, which is why it can take anywhere between one and four months to complete a rug. The organization is flexible, allowing weavers to decide how fast or slow they want to work, and customers are understanding of the time it takes to create these beautiful pieces.

The knowledge of dyeing wool with natural methods has been lost, but reWoven hopes to revive this technique in the future. For now, they import naturally dyed colored yarn from neighboring countries like Azerbaijan.

The price of one square meter of a Borchalo carpet at reWoven is 400 USD, with each rug coming with a certificate ensuring its quality and origin, personal information about the weaver, and images of the process on the loom.

Borchalo carpets in Georgia differ from those in the Caucasus and East, particularly from Persian Borchalo, in terms of weaving technique and design.

Their bold, ornamental, geometric, almost tribal rug design generally reflects mythological symbols, beliefs, and totems, which were once mystical and religious but have since lost their symbolism and are now decorative details.

The technique used for Borchalo carpets is also different, with tick wool allowing for fewer knots in one square inch, resulting in bolder and more graphic patterns.

The red dye used in Borchalo carpets, which comes from the madder root, is a distinctive feature that sets them apart, and natural dyes last longer than chemical ones, with a lifespan of centuries.

Borchalo carpets are known for their unique designs, which often reflect mythological symbols, beliefs, and totems.

The bold, ornamental, and geometric designs of Borchalo carpets are reminiscent of tribal rug designs, with motifs that have been passed down over the centuries.

These designs often feature gols, which are floral medallions or rosettes, as well as trees, birds, camels, dogs, and other symbols that hold special meaning.

The Tree of Life is a common design found in Borchalo carpets, symbolizing a family's wealth and strength, with tree branches signifying fertility and representing future generations.

A stylized eye is often included to protect the family from the evil eye, while a camel represents wealth and a star represents light and purity.

The incorporation of these motifs mirrors the weavers' life experiences, traditions, and historical events, making each carpet a complex masterpiece that tells a story.

The artistic expression of the weaver determines whether other symbols are included, such as birds, which symbolize good news, or a dog, which represents a family friend.

Borchaly carpets have a rich cultural significance that spans centuries. They were woven by nearly every Azerbaijani woman in Georgia for generations, passing down the tradition from mother to daughter.

These carpets were woven to warm homes, as gifts, and as part of dowries, reflecting the daily life and culture of the community. They were also used to express the community's values and traditions.

In Azerbaijani communities, carpets were an integral part of daily life, used to keep homes warm and as a symbol of status. They were also used in dowries, which is a significant aspect of Azerbaijani culture.

The carpets were woven with love and care, often taking months or even years to complete. They were a way for women to express their creativity and connect with their heritage.

Borchaly carpets are highly valued for their beauty and cultural significance. They are frequently exhibited in museums and personal collections around the world. Some of these antique rugs have sold for several thousand USD at exclusive auction houses.

The cultural significance of Borchaly carpets is not limited to their beauty; they also hold a deep emotional value for the people who weave them. They are a way to connect with their ancestors and preserve their cultural heritage.

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The village of Kosalari is about an hour's drive from Tbilisi, making it an easily accessible destination for carpet enthusiasts.

You can join a tour with WT Georgia to visit the weavers, get hands-on experience, and learn more about the Borchalo carpet tradition.

The tour includes a visit to the beautiful Kosalari mosque, where you'll see carpets made from artificial coloring, and a drive to one of the houses in the village to see the weaving process up close.

You'll have the opportunity to try weaving yourself and learn about the techniques and symbolism behind the Borchalo carpets.

The tour is typically small, so be sure to book in advance to secure your spot.

WT Georgia also offers private tours, and if you book using the code Red Fedora, you'll get 10% off.

If you're interested in learning more about the Borchalo carpet tradition, Kosalari is a must-visit destination.

The village is home to some of the last remaining Borchalo carpet weavers, and you'll have the chance to meet them and learn from them firsthand.

The reWoven organization, founded by Ryan Smith in 2007, is working to revive the Borchalo carpet tradition and support the local weavers.

You can visit the reWoven website to learn more about their work and see some of the beautiful Borchalo carpets they've created.

If you're planning a trip to Tbilisi, be sure to check out the Akhundzade Museum of Azerbaijani Culture, which has hosted exhibitions of Garabagh & Borchali carpets in the past.

The museum offers special courses in carpet weaving, and visitors can watch the weaving process up close.

The project has been supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Georgia, and has involved local citizens and foreigners alike.

Certificates are given to young people who take an active part in hand-weaving the carpets, and the European Union flag has even been woven by the museum as part of the project.

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