TEHRAN – Iran will present three nominations for inscription on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage lists at the 21st session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, scheduled to take place in Xiamen, China, from November 30 to December 5.
The nominations cover Tirgan, a traditional celebration honoring water and rain; lullabies and singing traditions for children; and the traditional art of felt-making, Hassan Fartousi, secretary-general of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, announced.
Speaking to IRNA on Wednesday, Fartousi said the Tirgan nomination had been jointly prepared with Armenia, while the dossier on lullabies and singing traditions for children would be submitted jointly with Turkmenistan.
He described lullabies as a cultural heritage passed down through generations and said Iran hoped all three nominations would receive UNESCO recognition.
Fartousi said representatives of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, together with experts involved in preparing the dossiers, would attend the meeting.
Iran currently has 27 elements and programs inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage lists and registers. If all three nominations are approved, the number will rise to 30, placing Iran fourth globally in terms of the number of registered elements and programs, according to Fartousi.
