Iran wins 4 joint UNESCO inscriptions

Iran wins four joint inscriptions on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

"Yalda Night or Shab-e-Chella", practiced in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as crafting and playing the musical instrument "Oud" have been registered on the global list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

“Yalda refers to a traditional celebration of the sun and the warmth of life. Practiced in Iran and Afghanistan, the event takes place on the last night of autumn, when families gather at the houses of elders and sit around a table adorned with a series of symbolic objects and foods,” writes UNESCO on its official platform.

The committee also decided to accept Iran and Syria’s nomination of crafting and playing the Oud for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on the third day of the session on Wednesday.

With a history dating back to over 1,500 years ago in the Middle East and Iran, Oud is an important part of the communities’ identity. 

“The Oud is a pear-shaped and stringed musical instrument, whose melodic and harmonic tones are produced through stopping the frets with the fingers of one hand and plucking the strings with the other,” according to the UNESCO website.

In Iran, the instrument is mainly used in major cities like the capital Tehran and Shiraz in the south. It is also used in the southern provinces of Khuzestan, Busher and Hormozgan as well as Kordestan Province in the west. 

Ouds can be played solo or in ensembles.

In Iran, they are played during rituals, wedding ceremonies, cultural events as well as celebrations, festivals and family gatherings.

Also inscribed on the 2022 Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is “Turkmen-style needlework art” and “sericulture and traditional production of silk for weaving”.

Turkmen-style needlework is a decorative art that is used on the national dress of people of all genders and ages in Turkmenistan and Iran.

Silk weaving is one of the most prosperous and important industries in the Iranian province of Golestan. 

Besides Gorgan, the capital of the province, different regions of Golestan, including Ramyan, Minoudasht and Turkmen Sahara, are also prominent in silk production and silkworm breeding today.

Silk farming, also known as sericulture, is one of the seasonal jobs of people living in rural areas of Minoudasht in Golestan Province. 

Also, locals weave various cloths with silks produced in their own farms. 

One of the other important applications of silk is its main role in developing high-quality Iranian handmade carpets. 

Various types of clothes, scarves, shawls, silk strips, handkerchiefs, towels and tablecloths are produced from silk.

The 17th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage started on Monday in the Moroccan capital Rabat.

MM/AG