Alheda'a, oral traditions of calling camel flocks
truments played by herders to communicate with their camels. The rhythmic expression is inspired by poetry, and the herder uses a unique repository of sounds that the camels have become accustomed to in order to direct herds through the desert or pasture to an area for drinking, feeding and milking preparation. Alheda’a can also be used for swift a...
Saudi Arabia , United Arab Emirates , OmanHarees dish: know-how, skills and practices
di Arabia, Harees is present in many social and cultural elements such as folk stories, sayings and poetry. The related skills and knowledge are passed on from mothers to daughters, in educational institutes, restaurants and hotels, and through the media and official institutions. Preparing and serving harees is viewed as a sign of hospitality and...
Saudi Arabia , United Arab Emirates , OmanBeekeeping in Slovenia, a way of life
klore texts (with printed works from the eighteenth century onwards disseminating knowledge, prose, poetry and sayings related to beekeeping), art (with the characteristic painted panels and religious and secular motifs on the hives) and architecture (with the construction of traditional apiaries)....
SloveniaSevdalinka, traditional urban folk song
originated as the result of a long process of acculturation that occurred when the traditional oral poetry of the South-Slavic population merged with the musical influences of the Ottoman Empire. Performed a capella or with the accompaniment of traditional instruments, the main function of sevdalinka is to tell a story. It is practised by professio...
Bosnia and HerzegovinaYaldā/Chella
ccasion are also set on the table and consumed during the gathering. Activities range from reciting poetry and storytelling to playing games and music and giving gifts to new in-laws, brides and children. The event celebrates cultural identity, nature, respect for women, friendship, hospitality, cultural diversity and peaceful coexistence. It is tr...
Iran (Islamic Republic of) , AfghanistanDate palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices
, fronds and fibres) for traditional crafts and social rituals. The date palm is also referenced in poetry and songs, among others. It has been associated with the region for centuries, constituting a key source of nutrition in addition to the associated crafts, professions and traditions. Due to its longstanding significance, the date palm is wide...
Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , Egypt , United Arab Emirates , Iraq , Jordan , Kuwait , Morocco , Mauritania , Oman , State of Palestine , Qatar , Sudan , Tunisia , YemenMahadra, a community system for transmission of traditional knowledge and oral expressions
, integration and social cohesion. It is also intricately linked to the transmission of Mauritanian poetry and storytelling, providing a sense of continuity, belonging and shared cultural identity for the communities concerned....
MauritaniaThe practice of opera singing in Italy
ciocultural memory, and is closely linked with other cultural elements, such as acoustic places and poetry. It is also dependent on other professions such as stage and light design, costume tailoring, scenography and makeup. A means of free expression and intergenerational dialogue, its cultural value is recognized at national and international lev...
ItalyXeedho
refully hidden. An integral part of the wedding ceremony in Djibouti and the subject of riddles and poetry, the ritual of making xeedho is transmitted informally within families, with girls watching to see how it is prepared. The bride’s mother, grandmothers, sisters and aunts invest fully in planning the marriage celebrations and preparing the xee...
DjiboutiXeer Ciise: Oral customary laws of Somali-Issa communities in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia
mutual assistance. Xeer Ciise is transmitted informally, including through tales, proverbs, games, poetry and initiation rites. It is also transmitted through formal educational curricula, panel discussions, symposiums and print and electronic media. For the Somali-Issa, the practice unites communities in the Horn of Africa and defines their colle...
Djibouti , Ethiopia , Somalia