Ceremony for nominating Oud making and playing as part of UNESCO Human Heritage List in Dar Al-Assad

Damascus (ST): The Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Syria Trust for Development, organized a ceremony to include the file of making and playing the oud on the UNESCO Human Heritage List, a joint (Syrian-Iranian) file at Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Arts.

Syria presented its candidacy among the 56 nominations submitted by several countries to include intangible cultural arts on the list of human heritage, to add a new part of the contribution of Syrian culture and heritage to the global human heritage.

The Ministry of Culture worked through the Directorate of Intangible Heritage and its cadres deployed in the governorates to monitor and inspect this element periodically, and follow up on the challenges facing it, with the participation of the Syrian communities carrying and practicing it to preserve this musical heritage. The Ministry also worked to integrate its celebrations into cultural festivals and heritage days with the aim of promoting it and raise awareness of its importance.

In turn, the Syria Trust for Development has documented this heritage element since 2018 with Syrians who practice making lutes, in addition to musicians and composers, through interviews with craftsmen in Damascus, Aleppo, Hama and Sweida. The youth’s vision was included in the file, given their important role in protecting forms of heritage and promoting diversity, culture, and ensuring the sustainability of traditional practices.

The celebration, which was hosted by the Drama Theater in Dar Al-Assad, began with a video clip highlighting the moment of the announcement that the oud industry and its playing were enlisted in the human heritage in UNESCO.

In her speech, the Minister of Culture, Dr. Lubana Mshaweh, explained that the project  of making the oud and playing it is a Syrian-Iranian project, reflecting the existence of deep-rooted cultural commonalities between the two countries and that it would enhance dialogue between specialists, practitioners and makers in order to reach a convergence of visions and ideas for the development of the craft.

K.Q.