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 nomination files submitted by the States Parties are published by the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention on its website in compliance with paragraph 54 of the Operational Directives regarding the nomination procedure; moreover, the information included in the nominations is reflected in working documents of the Committee in order to ensure transparency and access to information.


The sole responsibility for the content of each nomination file lies with the submitting States Parties concerned. The designations employed in the texts and documents presented by the submitting 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, c) the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or d) references to specific historical events.





More criteria

Results : 276 elements corresponding to 3 regions and 65 countries
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2023

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Traditional knowledge, methods and practices concerning olive cultivationTürkiye

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Alpine pasture seasonSwitzerland
Art of illumination: Təzhib/Tazhib/Zarhalkori/Tezhip/NaqqoshlikAzerbaijan – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Tajikistan – Türkiye – Uzbekistan
Craftsmanship and performing art of balaban/meyAzerbaijan – Türkiye
Craftsmanship of mother of pearl inlayAzerbaijan – Türkiye
Iftar/Eftari/Iftar/Iftor and its socio-cultural traditionsAzerbaijan – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Türkiye – Uzbekistan
Knowledge, craft and skills of handmade glass productionCzechia – Finland – France – Germany – Hungary – Spain
Maltese Village Festa, an annual community celebrationMalta
Midwifery: knowledge, skills and practicesColombia – Cyprus – Germany – Kyrgyzstan – Luxembourg – Nigeria – Slovenia – Togo
Polonaise, traditional Polish dancePoland
Rotterdam Summer CarnivalNetherlands (Kingdom of the)
Sadeh/Sada celebrationIran (Islamic Republic of) – Tajikistan
Sodai straw garden making in LithuaniaLithuania
The practice of opera singing in ItalyItaly
Tradition of blacksmithing in GyumriArmenia
Traditional irrigation: knowledge, technique, and organizationAustria – Belgium – Germany – Italy – Luxembourg – Netherlands (Kingdom of the) – Switzerland
Traditional knowledge and skills of production of the atlas and adras fabricsTajikistan
Transhumance, the seasonal droving of livestockAlbania – Andorra – Austria – Croatia – France – Greece – Italy – Luxembourg – Romania – Spain

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Nyckelharpa network, an innovative dissemination of a music and instrument-building tradition with roots in SwedenSweden
Safeguarding foster care heritage in the merciful city of Geel: a community-based care modelBelgium

2022

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Culture of Ukrainian borscht cookingUkraine
Traditional Ahlat stoneworkTürkiye
Xhubleta, skills, craftsmanship and forms of usageAlbania

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Artisanal know-how and culture of baguette breadFrance
August 15th (Dekapentavgoustos) festivities in two Highland Communities of Northern Greece: Tranos Choros (Grand Dance) in Vlasti and Syrrako FestivalGreece
Bear festivities in the PyreneesAndorra – France
Beekeeping in Slovenia, a way of lifeSlovenia
Culture of Çay (tea), a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interactionAzerbaijan – Türkiye
Festivity of Saint Tryphon and the Kolo (chain dance) of Saint Tryphon, traditions of Croats from Boka Kotorska (Bay of Kotor) who live in the Republic of CroatiaCroatia
Hungarian string band traditionHungary
Lipizzan horse breeding traditionsAustria – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Croatia – Hungary – Italy – Romania – Slovakia – Slovenia
Manual bell ringingSpain
Orteke, traditional performing art in Kazakhstan: dance, puppet and musicKazakhstan
Pehlevanliq culture: traditional zorkhana games, sports and wrestlingAzerbaijan
Sericulture and traditional production of silk for weavingAfghanistan – Azerbaijan – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Türkiye – Tajikistan – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan
Social practices and knowledge related to the preparation and use of the traditional plum spirit – šljivovicaSerbia
Straw weaving in Belarus, art, craft and skillsBelarus
Telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja/ Molla Nesreddin/ Molla Ependi/ Apendi/ Afendi Kozhanasyr AnecdotesAzerbaijan – Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan – Türkiye – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan
The art of the traditional blouse with embroidery on the shoulder (altiţă) — an element of cultural identity in Romania and the Republic of MoldovaRomania – Republic of Moldova
The practice of Modern Dance in GermanyGermany
Timber raftingAustria – Czechia – Germany – Latvia – Poland – Spain

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Portuguese-Galician border ICH: a safeguarding model created by Ponte...nas ondas!Portugal – Spain
Strategy for safeguarding traditional crafts: The Bearers of Folk Craft Tradition programmeCzechia
Tocatì, a shared programme for the safeguarding of traditional games and sportsItaly – Belgium – Croatia – Cyprus – France

2021

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Building and use of expanded dugout boats in the Soomaa regionEstonia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Community festivities in Campo MaiorPortugal
Corso culture, flower and fruit parades in the NetherlandsNetherlands (Kingdom of the)
Cultural Heritage of Boka Navy Kotor: a festive representation of a memory and cultural identityMontenegro
FalakTajikistan
Falconry, a living human heritageUnited Arab Emirates – Austria – Belgium – Croatia – Czechia – France – Germany – Hungary – Ireland – Italy – Kazakhstan – Republic of Korea – Kyrgyzstan – Mongolia – Morocco – Netherlands (Kingdom of the) – Pakistan – Poland – Portugal – Qatar – Saudi Arabia – Slovakia – Spain – Syrian Arab Republic
Flower carpets tradition for Corpus Christi processionsPoland
Hüsn-i Hat, traditional calligraphy in Islamic art in TurkeyTürkiye
Inuit drum dancing and singingDenmark
Kaustinen fiddle playing and related practices and expressions Finland
L-Għana, a Maltese folksong traditionMalta
Namur stilt joustingBelgium
Nordic clinker boat traditionsDenmark – Finland – Iceland – Norway – Sweden
Ornek, a Crimean Tatar ornament and knowledge about itUkraine
Truffle hunting and extraction in Italy, traditional knowledge and practiceItaly
Visoko multipart singing from Dolen and Satovcha, South-western BulgariaBulgaria

2020

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Art of miniatureAzerbaijan – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Türkiye – Uzbekistan
Craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanicsSwitzerland – France
Grass mowing competition custom in KupresBosnia and Herzegovina
Handmade production of Christmas tree decorations from blown glass beadsCzechia
Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in MaltaMalta
Musical art of horn players, an instrumental technique linked to singing, breath control, vibrato, resonance of place and convivialityFrance – Belgium – Luxembourg – Italy
Nar Bayrami, traditional pomegranate festivity and cultureAzerbaijan
Pilgrimage to the St. Thaddeus Apostle MonasteryIran (Islamic Republic of) – Armenia
Sauna culture in FinlandFinland
The art of glass beadsItaly – France
Traditional intelligence and strategy game: Togyzqumalaq, Toguz Korgool, Mangala/GöçürmeKazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan – Türkiye
Tree beekeeping culturePoland – Belarus
Wine HorsesSpain
Zlakusa pottery making, hand-wheel pottery making in the village of ZlakusaSerbia

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Craft techniques and customary practices of cathedral workshops, or Bauhütten, in Europe, know-how, transmission, development of knowledge and innovationGermany – Austria – France – Norway – Switzerland
Polyphonic Caravan, researching, safeguarding and promoting the Epirus polyphonic songGreece
The Martinique yole, from construction to sailing practices, a model for heritage safeguardingFrance

2019

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Spring rite of Juraŭski KarahodBelarus

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

AlpinismFrance – Italy – Switzerland
Armenian letter art and its cultural expressionsArmenia
Artisanal talavera of Puebla and Tlaxcala (Mexico) and ceramics of Talavera de la Reina and El Puente del Arzobispo (Spain) making processMexico – Spain
Byzantine chantCyprus – Greece
Celestinian forgiveness celebrationItaly
Drotárstvo, wire craft and artSlovakia
Holy Week processions in MendrisioSwitzerland
Irish harpingIreland
Ommegang of Brussels, an annual historical procession and popular festivalBelgium
Practice of traditional music and dance in Setesdal, playing, dancing and singing (stev/stevjing)Norway
Tradition of Kosiv painted ceramicsUkraine
Traditional Turkish archeryTürkiye
Winter festivities, Carnival of PodencePortugal

2018

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Yalli (Kochari, Tenzere), traditional group dances of NakhchivanAzerbaijan

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Art of dry stone walling, knowledge and techniquesCroatia – Cyprus – France – Greece – Italy – Slovenia – Spain – Switzerland
Avalanche risk managementSwitzerland – Austria
Blaudruck/Modrotisk/Kékfestés/Modrotlač, resist block printing and indigo dyeing in EuropeAustria – Czechia – Germany – Hungary – Slovakia
Bobbin lacemaking in SloveniaSlovenia
Celebration in honor of the Budslaŭ icon of Our Lady (Budslaŭ fest)Belarus
Chakan, embroidery art in the Republic of TajikistanTajikistan
Chidaoba, wrestling in GeorgiaGeorgia
Heritage of Dede Qorqud/Korkyt Ata/Dede Korkut, epic culture, folk tales and musicAzerbaijan – Kazakhstan – Türkiye
HurlingIreland
Međimurska popevka, a folksong from MeđimurjeCroatia
Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in KrakowPoland
Picking of iva grass on Ozren mountainBosnia and Herzegovina
Singing to the accompaniment of the GusleSerbia
Tamboradas drum-playing ritualsSpain
The skills related to perfume in Pays de Grasse: the cultivation of perfume plants, the knowledge and processing of natural raw materials, and the art of perfume compositionFrance
Traditional spring festive rites of the Kazakh horse breedersKazakhstan

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Land-of-Legends programme, for promoting and revitalizing the art of storytelling in Kronoberg RegionSweden

2017

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Whistled languageTürkiye

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Art of crafting and playing with Kamantcheh/Kamancha, a bowed string musical instrumentAzerbaijan – Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’Italy
Basel CarnivalSwitzerland
Craft of the miller operating windmills and watermillsNetherlands (Kingdom of the)
Craftmanship of Estremoz clay figuresPortugal
Cultural practices associated to the 1st of MarchBulgaria – North Macedonia – Republic of Moldova – Romania
Dolma making and sharing tradition, a marker of cultural identityAzerbaijan
Door-to-door rounds of KurentiSlovenia
Kazakh traditional Assyk gamesKazakhstan
Kochari, traditional group danceArmenia
Kolo, traditional folk danceSerbia
Konjic woodcarvingBosnia and Herzegovina
Multipart singing of HorehronieSlovakia
Organ craftsmanship and musicGermany
RebetikoGreece
Spring celebration, HıdrellezNorth Macedonia – Türkiye
Uilleann pipingIreland

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Bulgarian Chitalishte (Community Cultural Centre): practical experience in safeguarding the vitality of the Intangible Cultural HeritageBulgaria

2016

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Bisalhães black pottery manufacturing processPortugal
Cossack’s songs of Dnipropetrovsk RegionUkraine

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Beer culture in BelgiumBelgium
Carnival of GranvilleFrance
Flatbread making and sharing culture: Lavash, Katyrma, Jupka, YufkaAzerbaijan – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan – Türkiye
Idea and practice of organizing shared interests in cooperativesGermany
Kuresi in KazakhstanKazakhstan
Living culture of three writing systems of the Georgian alphabetGeorgia
Momoeria, New Year's celebration in eight villages of Kozani area, West Macedonia, GreeceGreece
Nawrouz, Novruz, Nowrouz, Nowrouz, Nawrouz, Nauryz, Nooruz, Nowruz, Navruz, Nevruz, Nowruz, NavruzAfghanistan – Azerbaijan – India – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Iraq – Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan – Pakistan – Tajikistan – Turkmenistan – Türkiye
Oshi Palav, a traditional meal and its social and cultural contexts in TajikistanTajikistan
Puppetry in Slovakia and CzechiaSlovakia – Czechia
Škofja Loka passion playSlovenia
Traditional craftsmanship of Çini-makingTürkiye
Traditional wall-carpet craftsmanship in Romania and the Republic of MoldovaRomania – Republic of Moldova
Valencia Fallas festivitySpain
Winegrowers’ Festival in VeveySwitzerland

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Community project of safeguarding the living culture of Rovinj/Rovigno: the Batana EcomuseumCroatia
Festival of folklore in Koprivshtitsa: a system of practices for heritage presentation and transmissionBulgaria
Oselvar boat - reframing a traditional learning process of building and use to a modern contextNorway
Regional Centres for Craftsmanship: a strategy for safeguarding the cultural heritage of traditional handicraftAustria
Safeguarding of the folk music heritage by the Kodály conceptHungary

2015

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Glasoechko, male two-part singing in Dolni PologNorth Macedonia
Manufacture of cowbellsPortugal

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Aitysh/Aitys, art of improvisationKazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan
Bagpipe cultureSlovakia
Classical horsemanship and the High School of the Spanish Riding School ViennaAustria
Copper craftsmanship of LahijAzerbaijan
Lad’s dances in RomaniaRomania
Summer solstice fire festivals in the PyreneesAndorra – Spain – France
Surova folk feast in Pernik regionBulgaria
Tinian marble craftsmanshipGreece

2014

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Cante Alentejano, polyphonic singing from Alentejo, southern PortugalPortugal
Ebru, Turkish art of marblingTürkiye
Gwoka: music, song, dance and cultural practice representative of Guadeloupean identityFrance
Kazakh traditional art of Dombra KuyKazakhstan
Know-how of cultivating mastic on the island of ChiosGreece
Kopachkata, a social dance from the village of Dramche, PijanecNorth Macedonia
Lavash, the preparation, meaning and appearance of traditional bread as an expression of culture in ArmeniaArmenia
Slava, celebration of family saint patron’s daySerbia
Smoke sauna tradition in VõromaaEstonia
The tradition of carpet-making in ChiprovtsiBulgaria
Traditional agricultural practice of cultivating the ‘vite ad alberello’ (head-trained bush vines) of the community of PantelleriaItaly
Traditional art and symbolism of Kelaghayi, making and wearing women’s silk headscarvesAzerbaijan
Traditional knowledge and skills in making Kyrgyz and Kazakh yurts (Turkic nomadic dwellings)Kazakhstan – Kyrgyzstan
Zmijanje embroideryBosnia and Herzegovina

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Safeguarding the carillon culture: preservation, transmission, exchange and awareness-raisingBelgium

2013

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Chovqan, a traditional Karabakh horse-riding game in the Republic of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making methodGeorgia
Celebrations of big shoulder-borne processional structuresItaly
Feast of the Holy Forty Martyrs in ŠtipNorth Macedonia
Limousin septennial ostensionsFrance
Mediterranean dietCyprus – Croatia – Spain – Greece – Italy – Morocco – Portugal
Men’s group Colindat, Christmas-time ritualRepublic of Moldova – Romania
Music of TerchováSlovakia
Petrykivka decorative painting as a phenomenon of the Ukrainian ornamental folk artUkraine
Shrimp fishing on horseback in OostduinkerkeBelgium
Turkish coffee culture and traditionTürkiye

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Methodology for inventorying intangible cultural heritage in biosphere reserves: the experience of MontsenySpain

2012

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Craftsmanship and performance art of the Tar, a long-necked string musical instrumentAzerbaijan
Craftsmanship of Horezu ceramicsRomania
Fest-Noz, festive gathering based on the collective practice of traditional dances of BrittanyFrance
Fiesta of the patios in CordovaSpain
Folk art of the Matyó, embroidery of a traditional communityHungary
Klapa multipart singing of Dalmatia, southern CroatiaCroatia
Marches of Entre-Sambre-et-MeuseBelgium
Mesir Macunu festivalTürkiye
Performance of the Armenian epic of 'Daredevils of Sassoun' or 'David of Sassoun'Armenia
Schemenlaufen, the carnival of Imst, AustriaAustria
Traditional violin craftsmanship in CremonaItaly

2011

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Bećarac singing and playing from Eastern CroatiaCroatia
Ceremonial Keşkek traditionTürkiye
Equitation in the French traditionFrance
Fado, urban popular song of PortugalPortugal
Festivity of ‘la Mare de Déu de la Salut’ of AlgemesíSpain
Leuven age set ritual repertoireBelgium
Nijemo Kolo, silent circle dance of the Dalmatian hinterlandCroatia
Ride of the Kings in the south-east of the Czech RepublicCzechia
Tsiattista poetic duellingCyprus

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Programme of cultivating ludodiversity: safeguarding traditional games in FlandersBelgium
Revitalization of the traditional craftsmanship of lime-making in Morón de la Frontera, Seville, AndalusiaSpain
Táncház method: a Hungarian model for the transmission of intangible cultural heritageHungary

2010

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Ojkanje singingCroatia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Armenian cross-stones art. Symbolism and craftsmanship of KhachkarsArmenia
Chant of the Sybil on MajorcaSpain
Compagnonnage, network for on-the-job transmission of knowledge and identitiesFrance
Craftsmanship of Alençon needle lace-makingFrance
FlamencoSpain
Gastronomic meal of the FrenchFrance
Gingerbread craft from Northern CroatiaCroatia
Hopping procession of EchternachLuxembourg
Houtem Jaarmarkt, annual winter fair and livestock market at Sint-Lievens-HoutemBelgium
Human towersSpain
Kırkpınar oil wrestling festivalTürkiye
Krakelingen and Tonnekensbrand, end-of-winter bread and fire feast at GeraardsbergenBelgium
Semah, Alevi-Bektaşi ritualTürkiye
Shrovetide door-to-door processions and masks in the villages of the Hlinecko areaCzechia
Sinjska Alka, a knights’ tournament in SinjCroatia
Sutartinės, Lithuanian multipart songsLithuania
Traditional art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving in the Republic of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Traditional Sohbet meetingsTürkiye

2009

List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding

Cantu in paghjella, a secular and liturgical oral tradition of CorsicaFrance
Rite of the Kalyady Tsars (Christmas Tsars)Belarus
Suiti cultural spaceLatvia

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant from the Kastav areaCroatia
Art of Azerbaijani AshiqAzerbaijan
Âşıklık (minstrelsy) traditionTürkiye
Aubusson tapestryFrance
Busó festivities at Mohács: masked end-of-winter carnival customHungary
DoinaRomania
Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of DubrovnikCroatia
Irrigators’ tribunals of the Spanish Mediterranean coast: the Council of Wise Men of the plain of Murcia and the Water Tribunal of the plain of ValenciaSpain
KaragözTürkiye
Lacemaking in CroatiaCroatia
Lefkara laces or LefkaritikaCyprus
MaloyaFrance
Nestinarstvo, messages from the past: the Panagyr of Saints Constantine and Helena in the village of BulgariBulgaria
Procession of the Holy Blood in BrugesBelgium
Procession Za Krizen (‘following the cross’) on the island of HvarCroatia
Scribing tradition in French timber framingFrance
Seto Leelo, Seto polyphonic singing traditionEstonia
Spring procession of Ljelje/Kraljice (queens) from GorjaniCroatia
Traditional manufacturing of children’s wooden toys in Hrvatsko ZagorjeCroatia
Two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scaleCroatia
Whistled language of the island of La Gomera (Canary Islands), the Silbo GomeroSpain

Register of Good Safeguarding Practices

Centre for traditional culture – school museum of Pusol pedagogic projectSpain

2008

Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Albanian folk iso-polyphonyAlbania
Arts of the Meddah, public storytellersTürkiye
Azerbaijani MughamAzerbaijan
Baltic song and dance celebrationsEstonia – Latvia – Lithuania
Bistritsa Babi, archaic polyphony, dances and rituals from the Shoplouk regionBulgaria
Căluş ritualRomania
Canto a tenore, Sardinian pastoral songsItaly
Carnival of BincheBelgium
Cross-crafting and its symbolismLithuania
Cultural space and oral culture of the SemeiskieRussian Federation
Duduk and its musicArmenia
Fujara and its musicSlovakia
Georgian polyphonic singingGeorgia
Kihnu cultural spaceEstonia
Mevlevi Sema ceremonyTürkiye
Mystery play of ElcheSpain
Olonkho, Yakut heroic eposRussian Federation
Opera dei Pupi, Sicilian puppet theatreItaly
Patum of BergaSpain
Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and FranceBelgium – France
Shashmaqom musicUzbekistan – Tajikistan
Slovácko Verbuňk, recruit dancesCzechia
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