Azerbaijan will appeal to UNESCO over including a number of samples of national intangible cultural heritage, including 'balaban' (Azerbaijan’s wind instrument), into the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture Anar Karimov said on Dec. 28 at a press-conference dedicated to the results of the ministry’s activity in 2021, TurkicWorld reports.
“The appeal is associated with such spheres as sericulture and traditional silk production; mother of pearl in decorative arts; art of 'pakhlavan' (a kind of art when strong men demonstrate power), zorkhana (a traditional sports arena widespread in Azerbaijan) and traditional kinds of sports; the tradition of telling humorous stories about Molla Nasraddin; performance and art of playing the balaban; the tea culture,” Karimov said.
The minister expressed hope that these samples of intangible cultural heritage will be included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022.
