UNESCO Cairo Office/Egypt joint celebration of the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

The House of Heritage and the Centre will host the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) archives and provide educational and training in the area of arts and culture.

The Minister congratulated this significant achievement, stating," Open to everyone, the Centre provides a platform to engage in diverse education and creative activities to perpetuate our living heritage that is the foundation of the Egyptian identity".

Dr Nuria Sanz, Director of the UNESCO Cairo Office, thanks the Egyptian authorities for inviting UNESCO to co-organize this event and to start the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the ICH Convention.

"Living heritage provides meaning in the everyday lives of communities, a sense of identity, continuity, and belonging that hold these communities together and contribute to their well-being.

Cultural tradition, know-how and creativity are the three essential ingredients for craftsmanship. Craftsmen are not mere executors. They are interpreters of knowledge, responsible for and heirs of other generations, responsible for stopping the ferocity of time, which does not allow us to evaluate what we lose or gain with new technologies or virtual realities.

She also elaborated the important shift in the policy attention from the physical heritage to intangible aspect that was realized by the UNESCO ICH Convention.

Dr Nahla Emam, ICH Advisor, highlighted the leading role of Egypt in the promotion and implementation of the ICH Convention, presenting the overview of 7 elements (national and multi-national) inscribed on the Lists reflect the rich and diverse intangible treasures in Egypt.

Dr Haythm Younes at Egyptian Society for Folk Traditions (ESFT), presented the outcomes of the project "Strengthening National Capacities for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Egypt for Sustainable Development" implemented with UNESCO support. The project included pilot community-based inventorying in six different locations in the country.

Numerous craftspeople, knowledge holders and practitioners, artists and creators joined this festive event, displaying excellent skills and sharing knowledge to one hundred guests including many Ambassadors, the Sudanese delegation and experts.

The Fustat event was just the beginning of the celebration of the 20th anniversary this year in Egypt. The upcoming joint activities include the Outdoor Photo Exhibition and an international forum in Aswan in December 2023.

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