UNESCO Evaluation Body recommends Three Kazakh Traditions for Heritage status

The UNESCO Evaluation Body recommended adding the Salburyny hunting festival, traditional embroidery, and feltmaking to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Salburyny festival is an annual equestrian event in Kazakhstan that features Tazy hunting dogs and golden eagle falconry. The weeklong celebration brings together musicians, storytellers, and young people to practice horseback riding and dog care. The nomination aims to raise awareness of this ancient tradition while promoting wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism.

The Kiran Federation, Zhalayr Shora, and the Kansonar Association helped prepare the nomination for this festival, which first appeared on the national list of Kazakhstan in 2013. Kazakhstan also submitted a joint nomination for the art of embroidery alongside Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. This craft involves sewing decorative patterns onto materials like cotton and silk to create clothing and household items. The practice is mainly performed by women, who use nature and mythology as inspiration for their designs.

Additionally, Kazakhstan joined a group of seven other countries, including Azerbaijan and Mongolia, to nominate traditional feltmaking. This labor-intensive process involves cleaning and dyeing wool to create carpets and yurt coverings. The Evaluation Body recommended 56 out of 59 total nominations for inclusion on the list this year. The final decision will occur during a session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Xiamen, China.

This meeting takes place from November 30 to December 5.