🛍️ Azerbaijan: souvenirs
Azerbaijan's carpets are UNESCO-listed heritage and the whole craft scene - copper, silk, tea - rewards a slow walk through Baku's Old City. Here is what travellers bring home from Azerbaijan, where the good versions live, and the export questions worth a look - alongside our 53 written places.
🛒 The classic buys
Azerbaijani carpets
Guba, Shirvan and Karabakh patterns, hand-knotted in wool - buy from licensed dealers who provide the export certificate on the spot.
Copperware from Lahij
The mountain village hammers ewers, trays and pots as it has for centuries - workshops sell direct and prices are honest.
Kelagayi silk scarves
Block-printed silk from Sheki and Basqal - light as air and UNESCO-listed craft; the real ones are silk-screened by hand, edges slightly irregular.
Tea and jams
Lankaran tea plus the jam culture that goes with it - white cherry, walnut and quince preserves are the classic gift set.
Sheki halva
Layered nut-and-syrup pastry from Sheki - bakeries pack it for travel; it lasts a week or two.
⚠️ Check before you buy
- Carpets older than about 30 years or larger sizes need an export certificate from the Carpet Museum's commission - licensed shops arrange it; without it customs will stop the rug.
- Antiques, old books and artworks need export permits - buy new, keep receipts.
- Caviar has strict quantity limits - buy sealed tins from licensed shops only.
✗ Better left behind
- Old carpets sold without paperwork - beautiful, but they will not clear the airport.
- Unsealed caviar from markets - illegal to export and often poorly kept.
Markets shift, workshops close and open, and the best souvenir is still the one with a story you were there for. Buy from makers where you can, keep receipts for anything substantial, and when a deal feels too good, it usually is.