Aliyeva, Kubra M.
Kavkaz Forum. 2021. Issue 7.

Abstract:
In one of personal collections in Goris (Southern Azerbaijan) a unique carpet
is kept. That carpet is known by the name «Seven planets». (The fact is recorded by
R.Tagiyeva in her book «Carpet characters of Nizami», picture 40). The carpet was
woven in 1880 and judging by the character of figures, pictured on it, its author
was amateur carpet-maker. Uniqueness of that carpet is explained by its content
aspect. It should be also pointed, that in special literature such samples arenot
mentioned.
In the centre of carpet a rectangular medallion is placed, and its border isnot
very wide, it consists of three stripes. In that medallion a warm, light-brown color
transforms into dark-brown one (here ABRASH is seen). In the medallion pictures
of seven planets are placed. These planets are symbols of heavenly stars. In the
centre of medallion the Sun is pictured. (Arabian inscriptions with names of planets
are connected with different anthropomorphous figures. These inscriptions are
placed side by side, on the background of four paddle medallions of yellow color.
These medallions are outlined by yellow contour line).
All other figures are placed around the Sun. Two of them are placed in upper
part, two of them are placed in bottom of medallion, and the rest four stars are on
the right and on the left side of Sun. So, the placing of figures – symbols of planets
– reproduces the scheme of planets placing in the sky.
This facenables to presume, that ancient inhabitants of Azerbaijanstudied
the sky and had their own,spmewhat primitive ideas about the planets. Zoroaster
himself was considered a Zoroastrian prophet and anastrologer, he knew the
stars and the sky.
That was the reason, that the name Zoroaster for ancient Greeks was
associated with notion «astron» – star. So, in ancient sources Zoroaster is described
as wise astrologer, the doctrine, founded by him, is named Zoroastrism.

Keywords: sculpture, temple, Manna, Magus, seven planets, Nizami Ganjevi

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