• 89.47
  • 96.56
  • 0.97

The UN added horse game from Kyrgyzstan to list of important cultural heritage items

Society 0

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization added 33 new items to its running list of important global cultural contributions.

First established in 2008, 470 elements are included on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from 117 countries (Canada and the United States are no-shows). They run the gamut from a whistled language developed in Turkish mountain regions, to the ancient Indian practice of yoga, to more tangible things like Arabic coffee and beer culture in Belgium and one of this year’s 33 entries, Neapolitan-style pizza making. The goal of the list is to point to the elements’ cultural importance as well as ensure there are avenues to protect and help spread their transmission.

You can read the full list of 2017 entries and all 470 elements at UNESCO’s website. We look at some highlights from this year’s crop.

Kok boru, traditional horse game — Kyrgyzstan

Part polo. Part basketball. But they use the mould of an animal instead of a ball. Kok boru is played by two teams on horseback who try to score points by putting the mould into the opponent’s goal. Since 1998, the National Kok Boru Federation ensures the game’s continued practice by organizing games and activities.

Kumbh Mela — India

Millions of Hindu pilgrims take part in Kumbh Mela, the festival of the sacred Pitcher, on a rotating basis in four Indian cities every three or four years. It is believed that participants who bathe in the sacred rivers are freed from their sins.

Kochari, traditional group dance — Armenia

The traditional dance is performed at many social gatherings, including holidays, festive celebrations and weddings. UNESCO points to its special status as the rare cultural dance that is passed on through non-formal (from one generation to the next) and formal means: since 2004, comprehensive schools in Armenia teach the dance in a “folk song and dance” course.

Dolma making and sharing tradition — Azerbaijan

Calling it a marker of cultural identity, UNESCO included dolma (rice, meat, onions, spices and peas — all wrapped in leaves) on its list because of the tradition of passing down techniques and recipes within families and across the country, including in vocational schools. The name dolma comes from the Turkic word “doldurma,” which means stuffed.

The “art” of Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo — Italy

UNESCO refers to pizza dough makers in Naples as artists. The honour stems from the skill and difficulty of the very specific four stages needed (shaping of the dough balls, spreading the dough, topping the dough in clockwise motion starting from the centre, and baking it using a rotating movement) to make and cook an authentic Neapolitan pizza in a wood-fire oven. UNESCO points to the importance of the art in bringing people together, as well as the transmission of skills from one generation to the next, for its place on the list.

Alasita, ritual journey in La Paz — Bolivia

According to tradition and spread from one generation to the next through an annual gathering, people in La Paz take a symbolic, ritual journey with the Ekeko, the mythological god of abundance and prosperity. Bolivians take part in Alasita by attaching tiny replicas of things they want for the incoming year, like money and food, to the Ekeko, who will carry them and ensure prosperity to the people.

Organ craftsmanship and music — Germany

UNESCO credits the organ for helping to shape Germany’s musical landscape for centuries. In particular, it points to the importance of the craftsmanship and expertise needed to build organs. There is no one way to do it as each one is designed specifically with the space it will occupy in mind. There are more than 400 organizations that teach the craft, including vocational schools and universities.

Source: http://nationalpost.com/news/world/the-un-added-a-horse-game-from-kyrgyzstan-and-dolma-to-a-list-of-important-cultural-heritage-items

Comments

Post Comment