As previously reported, on November 26, at the ninth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Kyrgyzstan's application for the inclusion of the yurt in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was approved.
The decision to include it was announced at 23:58 Bishkek time (18:58 Paris time). The application titled "Traditional Knowledge and Skills in the Making of Kyrgyz and Kazakh Yurts (Turkic Nomadic Dwelling)" is the first joint nomination from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Following the announcement of the yurt's inclusion in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, the Deputy Chairman of the National Commission of Kyrgyzstan for UNESCO, member of the Jogorku Kenesh Karganbek Samakov, delivered a speech in the state language of the Kyrgyz Republic.
He noted that the yurt is the first Kyrgyz-Kazakh nomination. "The joint nomination of the yurt demonstrates not only our peoples' understanding of the unity of basic cultural values but also deep mutual respect and readiness for further cooperation, including in the preservation of the common intangible cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz and Kazakh peoples," said K. Samakov.
In his speech, he emphasized that "the yurt is not only a brilliant architectural structure of the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs and a home but also a symbol of the Motherland." Despite the onset of urbanization and changes in lifestyle and the appearance of modern housing, for the peoples of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, the yurt continues to be the center and focus of traditional life with all manifestations of traditional culture, the parliamentarian noted.
"Dear Committee members, representatives of the states parties to the Convention, on behalf of the entire Kyrgyz people and on behalf of President Almazbek Atambaev, I express my deep gratitude for including the Kyrgyz yurt in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO and for your support," thanked the Deputy Chairman of the National Commission of Kyrgyzstan for UNESCO.
A grateful speech was also delivered by the improvisational poet Elmirbek Imanaliev.
Source: culture.akipress.org
