Summary of UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage Additions
- UNESCO has added 39 new traditions to its cultural heritage list, marking significant contributions from various countries.
- This year’s additions highlight the importance of both tangible and intangible cultural practices worldwide.
- The expanded list now features a total of 630 elements, showcasing diverse cultural expressions.
UNESCO added 39 traditions to its cultural heritage list in December 2021, including some from countries represented for the first time.
The traditions, which come from all over the world, were added by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, according to UNESCO. This year’s decisions were a landmark for Montenegro, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Denmark, the Seychelles, the Federated States of Micronesia, Timor-Leste, Iceland, and Haiti, which presented traditions for inclusion for the first time.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists currently feature 630 elements from 140 countries.
The list now includes a range of cultural traditions from Arabic calligraphy to falconry, Danish Inuit drum dancing and singing, Maltese folksong, Haitian soup, and even truffle hunting in Italy.
UNESCO Announces 9 New Additions to World Heritage Site List
In addition to the traditions that have been added, UNESCO also placed four elements on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. These include games highlighting nomadic lifestyles, the rediscovery of heritage, and the celebration of diversity in Kyrgyzstan, alongside a success story promoting traditional foods and safeguarding foodways in Kenya.
In July 2021, UNESCO also added several new designations to its World Heritage list, enhancing the visibility of sites such as Madrid’s Retiro Park and the Trans-Iranian Railway. Overall, there are more than 1,100 World Heritage sites worldwide, spread over 167 countries, encompassing cultural, natural, and mixed sites, according to the organization.
The following traditions have been included in this year’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, along with their countries of origin:
- United Arab Emirates, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic: Falconry, a living human heritage
- Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Sudan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen: Arabic calligraphy, knowledge, skills and practices
- Denmark; Finland; Iceland; Norway; Sweden: Nordic clinker boat traditions
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo: Congolese rumba
- Plurinational State of Bolivia: Grand Festival of Tarija
- Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: Festive cycle around the devotion and worship towards Saint John the Baptist
- Ecuador: Pasillo, song and poetry
- Panama: Dances and expressions associated with the Corpus Christi Festivity
- Peru: Pottery-related values, knowledge, lore and practices of the Awajún people
- Malaysia: Songket
- Indonesia: Gamelan
- Thailand: Nora, dance drama in southern Thailand
- Viet Nam: Art of Xòe dance of the Tai people in Viet Nam
- India: Durga Puja in Kolkata
- Sri Lanka: Traditional craftsmanship of making Dumbara Ratā Kalāla
- Turkmenistan: Dutar making craftsmanship and traditional music performing art combined with singing
- Seychelles: Moutya
- Madagascar: Malagasy Kabary, the Malagasy oratorical art
- Senegal: Ceebu Jën, a culinary art of Senegal
- Bahrain: Fjiri
- Iraq: Traditional craft skills and arts of Al-Naoor
- Palestine: The art of embroidery in Palestine, practices, skills, knowledge and rituals
- Syrian Arab Republic: Al-Qudoud al-Halabiya
- Morocco: Tbourida
- Turkey: Hüsni Hat, traditional calligraphy in Islamic art in Turkey
- Finland: Kaustinen fiddle playing and related practices and expressions
- Denmark: Inuit drum dancing and singing
- Malta: L-Għana, a Maltese folksong tradition
- Portugal: Community festivities in Campo Maior
- Tajikistan: Falak
- Bulgaria: Visoko multipart singing from Dolen and Satovcha, South-western Bulgaria
- Ukraine: Ornek, a Crimean Tatar ornament and knowledge about it
- Belgium: Namur stilt jousting
- Italy: Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy, traditional knowledge and practice
- Netherlands: Corso culture, flower and fruit parades in the Netherlands
- Uzbekistan: Bakhshi art
- Montenegro: Cultural Heritage of Boka Navy Kotor: a festive representation of a memory and cultural identity
- Poland: Flower carpets tradition for Corpus Christi processions
- Haiti: Joumou soup
