Latif Karimov facts for kids
Latif Karimov (born November 17, 1906, in Shusha; died 1991, in Baku) was a famous Azerbaijani artist. He was especially known for designing beautiful carpets. Latif Karimov also worked in many other art forms. He wrote important books that explained and categorized different designs of Azerbaijani rugs.
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Latif Karimov's Early Life
Latif Karimov was born in Shusha, which is now in Azerbaijan. His father, Mashadi Huseyn, made hats. His mother, Telli, was a skilled carpet weaver. In 1910, when Latif was young, his family moved to Mashhad, Iran. They lived in a part of the city where many people from Karabakh lived.
When Latif was 14, he finished school. He then started working in a carpet shop. He learned how to weave carpets, just like his mother. He traveled a lot around Iran, becoming very good at this craft.
Latif had many interests besides carpets. He liked boxing, reading, and performing. The Soviet office in Tehran invited him to join a Russian cultural club. There, he directed and acted in plays. He also started an Azeri choir.
In the late 1920s, Latif Karimov joined social movements. He helped weavers in Mashhad ask for better working conditions. They wanted an eight-hour workday. In 1929, he went to Afghanistan to promote theater. However, he returned to Iran after two months. The living conditions in Afghanistan were too difficult. That same year, he became a Soviet citizen. The Iranian government was suspicious of his social work. They offered him a chance to move to the Soviet Union, and Latif accepted.
Life in the Soviet Union
Latif Karimov moved back to his hometown of Shusha. He married Shovkat, a young local carpet weaver. He became an instructor at a carpet factory. He started classes to teach carpet weaving. He introduced Iranian weaving techniques that were new to weavers in Karabakh.
Some students could not read or write. Latif wrote special poems called goshmas to help them remember weaving steps. He later set up similar classes in Quba and Baku.
Latif Karimov designed more than just carpets. He also created beautiful jewelry and wood carvings. He designed patterns for china and fabrics. He decorated the inside of buildings too. In 1937, he helped design the Azeri hall for a big exhibition in Moscow.
In the 1940s, he was decorating the Nizami Museum of Azerbaijan Literature. Then, World War II started. Latif Karimov began working for Azerbaijan State Radio. He broadcast news in Iranian.
In 1945, he became the head of the Fine Arts Department. This was at the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. Between 1947 and 1977, he created a dictionary of Oriental music. In 1950, he received the USSR State Prize. This was a very high award in the Soviet Union.
In 1954, he held his first art show. It featured his carpets, architectural designs, and wood carvings. It also showed china vases, jewelry, and drawings. Latif Karimov worked hard to create a special museum. His efforts led to the opening of the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum in 1967. It was the first museum of its kind in the world.
The Azerbaijan Carpet Museum was named in his honor in 1991.
Latif Karimov's Scientific Work
During the 1940s, Latif Karimov worked as a Persian broadcaster. In 1946, he was introduced to the head of the radio, Shamsaddin Abbasov. Karimov started his scientific work at the Institute of Architecture and Art. This was part of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
In 1945, he helped create a separate department just for carpets. His book about the patterns on Azerbaijani Carpets is very important. It helps people learn about Azerbaijani designs and ornaments on carpets. For this book, Latif Karimov earned a scholar's degree in art studies. He received it in Saint Petersburg (which was called Leningrad then).
His large book, "Azerbaijan Carpet," is his most important research. The first part of this book was published in 1961. Latif Karimov also helped start the carpet museum in Baku in 1972.
See also
In Spanish: Latif Karimov para niños
