A large number of social media users reacted to UNESCO’s decision to include the Algerian caftan in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) approved the inclusion of Algeria’s file on the Algerian oriental costume in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage adopted the decision during its 19th session, currently taking place in Asunción, Paraguay, according to a statement by the Ministry of Culture.
“Our country’s success in securing the registration of this file is the culmination of the tireless work of the Ministry of Culture and Arts in implementing a comprehensive national strategy to protect and promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage that our country is rich in. This heritage is part of the collective memory and legacy of all humanity,” the ministry stated.
UNESCO’s decision sparked widespread reactions on social media, with bloggers praising Algeria’s efforts to preserve its heritage and protect and promote the country’s tangible and intangible cultural legacy.
However, UNESCO’s decision also caused an uproar in Morocco, which has repeatedly attempted to claim elements of Algeria’s cultural heritage as its own.
During the 19th session of UNESCO, the Kingdom of Morocco lodged an official protest against the inclusion of a picture of a caftan, which it claimed was Moroccan, in the Algerian dossier. The protest was filed by Morocco’s ambassador to UNESCO, Samir El Dahr.
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