Egypt’s Culture Ministry succeeded in listing its traditional form of hand puppetry, known as al-aragoz, on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The Al-Sirah al-Hilaliyyah Epic joined the same list in 2008, and Tahtib, Egypt’s traditional stick-fighting martial art, joined in 2016. Culture Minister Enas Abdel Dayem remarked that listing traditional hand puppetry on the list is a new step toward the preservation of Egypt’s intangible popular heritage and identity. Her statement added that Egyptian heritage is rich with other items that the ministry is seeking to register on UNESCO’s list, in the coming period. He added that 14 Arab countries seek to record, on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, handmade skills associated with palm trees.

Source: Egypt Independent November 29, 2018 09:22 UTC