List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Azerbaijan

UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage from Azerbaijan includes twenty-three elements: twenty-one of them were included in the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity", and two (the Chovgan horse-riding game played with the Karabakh horse and the traditional group dances of Nakhchivan – yalli, kochari, tanzera) were included in the "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Protection". No examples from Azerbaijan were included in the "Register of Good Safeguarding Practices". The Azerbaijani mugham, the first sample from Azerbaijan to be added to the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO, was included in the list in 2008.[1]

The concept of intangible cultural heritage is regulated by the Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was adopted at the 32nd session of UNESCO in Paris in 2003 and entered into force in 2006.[2] The inclusion of new heritage elements in UNESCO's lists of intangible cultural heritage is determined by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage established by the convention.[3] According to UNESCO, intangible cultural heritage includes holidays, festivals, performances, oral traditions, music and handicrafts.[4]

UNESCO intangible cultural heritage elements selected from Azerbaijan are taken in the "Europe and North America" category. Eleven of Azerbaijan's heritage elements are unique to Azerbaijan, and twelve are multinational. Countries with shared multi-ethnic heritage patterns are from West, Central and South Asia. Iran, Turkey and Kazakhstan are the countries with the most examples of shared heritage with Azerbaijan.

Some cultural elements are exclusive to certain Azerbaijani localities (Nakhchivan , Basqal, Lahic, Goychay, Shaki). Particularly, the Ismailli district is the one with the greatest amount of cultural treasures (Basqal pottery and Lahic copper art).

The first element, Azerbaijani mugham, was included into the list in 2008.[5]

  1. ^ "Azerbaijan and the 2003 Convention". Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Meetings on intangible cultural heritage (co-)organized by UNESCO". Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Functions of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage". Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Periodic reporting on the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage". Archived from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  5. ^ Azerbaijan – Information related to Intangible Cultural Heritage