Browse the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices

The Committee meets annually to evaluate nominations proposed by States Parties to the 2003 Convention and decide whether or not to inscribe those cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage on the Convention’s Lists.

By clicking on the inscribed elements listed below, you can discover the nominations, photos and videos, together with Committee decisions and evidence of community consent.

You may also experience a conceptual, visual and interactive navigation through ‘Dive into Intangible Cultural Heritage’ interfaces which demonstrate the thematic interconnectedness between all the elements inscribed and their relation to nature or to threats.

The designations employed in the texts and documents of the nomination presented by the submitting State Party or States Parties do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Committee nor UNESCO concerning a) the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, b) the legal status of its authorities or c) the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Full text search: The system will search the exact expression entered (i.e. ‘sustainable development’), except if you separate the terms by a comma so that the motor search one or the other expression or the two (i.e. ‘foodways, culinary practices’).

Year:

Region:

Country:

List:

Term:

all

multinational

national

include secondary level relations Elements potentially related to World Heritage sites whc

Files considered good examples by the Committee

More criteria

Results : 28 elements corresponding to 4 regions and 23 countries

List of elements
Statistics
Display by
year

2022⁴ – 2021³ – 2020² – 2018³ – 2017² – 2016² – 2015³ – 2014² – 2011¹ – 2009¹ – 2008⁵

2022
Register of Good Safeguarding Practices
Al Sadu Educational Programme: Train the trainers in the art of weaving	Kuwait
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Al Talli, traditional embroidery skills in the United Arab Emirates	United Arab Emirates
Alheda'a, oral traditions of calling camel flocks	Saudi Arabia – Oman – United Arab Emirates
Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices	United Arab Emirates – Bahrain – Egypt – Iraq – Jordan – Kuwait – Mauritania – Morocco – Oman – Palestine – Qatar – Saudi Arabia – Sudan – Tunisia – Yemen
2021
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Dutar making craftsmanship and traditional music performing art combined with singing	Turkmenistan
Tbourida	Morocco
Register of Good Safeguarding Practices
Nomad games, rediscovering heritage, celebrating diversity	Kyrgyzstan
2020
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Al Aflaj, traditional irrigation network system in the UAE, oral traditions, knowledge and skills of construction, maintenance and equitable water distribution	United Arab Emirates
Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous	Algeria – Mauritania – Morocco – Tunisia
2018
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
As-Samer in Jordan	Jordan
Horse and camel Ardhah	Oman
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
Knowledge and skills of the water measurers of the foggaras or water bailiffs of Touat and Tidikelt	Algeria
2017
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
Al Azi, art of performing praise, pride and fortitude poetry	United Arab Emirates
Dikopelo folk music of Bakgatla ba Kgafela in Kgatleng District	Botswana
2016
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Almezmar, drumming and dancing with sticks	Saudi Arabia
Tahteeb, stick game	Egypt
2015
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Al-Razfa, a traditional performing art	United Arab Emirates – Oman
Alardah Alnajdiyah, dance, drumming and poetry in Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
Coaxing ritual for camels	Mongolia
2014
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Al-Ayyala, a traditional performing art of the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates	Oman – United Arab Emirates
Practices and expressions of joking relationships in Niger	Niger
2011
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding
Moorish epic T’heydinn	Mauritania
2009
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Places of memory and living traditions of the Otomí-Chichimecas people of Tolimán: the Peña de Bernal, guardian of a sacred territory	Mexico
2008
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Ahellil of Gourara	Algeria
Al-Sirah Al-Hilaliyyah epic	Egypt
Cultural space of the Bedu in Petra and Wadi Rum	Jordan
Palestinian Hikaye	Palestine
Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang	China