There are three types of carpet shops operating in Azerbaijan:

• The first are government-owned and operated; they are old style with unhelpful sales staff. 
• The second type are the consignment shops, where things are sold for their owners by the shop staff and the shop gets a commission on each sale. 
• The third style is the modern, western, capitalist shop. These sell everything imaginable, sometimes from the same display case. There are dozens of private carpet dealers in Baku, with world-wide connections, many are located near the carpet museum. Some of these carpet dealers sell out of their homes, many are jewish. 

The value of a carpet is determined by a complex mix of factors including quality, colour, age, fashion and transportation but naturally very suceptible to each moment's balance of  market  offer and demand. Carpet  prices tend to be high throughout Azerbaijan. Just because a carpet is in Baku it does not mean it will be chepear there than in the West, the noveau riche in Azerbaijan have created a new local demand and the local dealers are well informed of world prices.

Export can be difficult due to bureaucratic requirements, even for new carpets. Expats often encounter problems when moving out of Azerbaijan trying to take their own used carpets. So if you are going to be a Baku resident have this in mind, before starting to buy expensive carpets. 

The only easy way to smuggle Azeri carpets out of the country is via train to Russia, where it is not even checked for. From Moscow, it is simple to get carpets out of the country. Unless you smuggle, you will find little cost advantage to buying carpets in Baku for export, versus buying in the West.

If you want to learn more about he carpets of Azerbaijan, the carpet museum is a good place to start, the impressive building, still known for its original purpose as the Lenin museum is located on 123a Neftchilar av. Its collection was enriched with the carpets brought from Shusha carpet museum, evacuated before the Armenian advance. Some good reference books for the prospective buyer are: "Bennet's Oriental Rugs - Vol I - Caucasian" (1993) and Ulrich Schurman's "Caucasian Rugs" (last reprinted in 1990).
 
 

Carpet Retailers			Carpet Manufacturers
Sheikh Safi Caucasian Rugs Husu Hajiyev, 35/20 Baku Phone: +994 50 380 88 78 Phone: +994 12 4945307 Galery Icheri Sheher, 28 A. Zeynally Tel: 921 560 Fax: 921 569 Ideal 28 A. Neymatulla Tel: 674213 Gumush Suyu 156 Mardanov Gardashlary Tel: 942550 Fax: 986 063	Sevinj Tel: 392 442 Silkway Icheri Sheher 9 Rzayev Tel: 922 822 Fax: 925 633 Shop nr. 31 60 Ataturk Avenue Tel: 620 419 Shop nr. 32 A. Gurbanov Tel: 942846 Shop nr. 37 82 Fizuli Tel: 942846		Az-Art 37/43 Uzeyir Hajibeyov st. Baku 370010 Tel: 984408 Fax: 988347 Azerbkhalcha 3 S. Vurgun Tel: 933 285 Fax: 937 408 Azerlime Aydinm 2 Sh. Rahimov Tel: 906 658 Fax: 906 659 Letif Company Tel: 685 870/689 883 Fax: 685 870