By the end of 2021, UNESCO has added a number of art forms and traditional rituals to its list of intangible cultural heritage, highlighting them for the international audiences and stressing their importance to local communities. Amongst the new art forms added there are seven originating from the Middle East and North Africa.
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) announced its 2021 list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which has featured 7 art forms that are quite popular in our region.
UNESCO 2021 Intangible Cultural Heritage List from the MENA region
1. Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practices
UNESCO has recognized the art of writing Arabic script using different historic fonts and techniques as an Intangible Cultural Heritage for Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, The United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
2. Al-Qudoud al-Halabiya
The music style unique to the ancient city of Aleppo in Syria has also been added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. This music is quite popular all over the Arabic-speaking world but it is mostly performed by artists from Aleppo.
In November 2021, Syria mourned the most iconic artist to ever perform Al-Qudoud al-Halabiya, Sabah Fakhri, who died in his home country after 88 years of singing his city's traditional songs.
3. Falconry, a living human heritage
Even though it spread to more than MENA countries such as UAE, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Syria, the traditional art and practice of training and flying falcons and other birds has been also added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List for 2021.
4. Fjiri Music
Bahrain and its neighbors are quite known for their pearls. Diving to hunt for these precious glistening objects often found in shelled mollusk has been a traditional practice in which people from Bahrain take pride in.
This is why UNESCO has decided to add the Fijri or Fidjeri music tradition often associated with these fishing trips to its 2021 list of intangible cultural heritage.
5. Tbourida
From Morocco this time, UNESCO has chosen the equestrian performance called Tbourida, which dates back to the 16th century. Mixing Morocco's Amazigh and Arab ancestral rituals, the dance celebrates military parades and successes.
6. Palestinian Embroidery
The art of embroidery in Palestine, practices, skills, knowledge and rituals has also been added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List for 2021.
The art celebrates Palestinian women’s village clothing where garments are embroidered with a variety of symbols including birds, trees, and flowers, each indicating the woman’s regional identity as well as marital and economic status.
7. Iraqi Craft of Al-Naoor
Here is the last craft skill from the MENA region chosen by UNESCO for its Intangible Cultural Heritage List for 2021.
Al-Naoor is a wooden wheel that rotates on its axis and is historically placed in areas where the running waters of the Euphrates River are low, so it helps farmers get the water they need for their lands.
Written by Riham Darwish
