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Traditional tools

44 public knowledge systems connected to this registry facet.

UNESCO representative list1 sources

Al Aflaj, traditional irrigation network system in the UAE, oral traditions, knowledge and skills of construction, maintenance and equitable water distribution

Al aflaj, système traditionnel d’irrigation aux EAU, traditions orales, connaissances et savoir-faire liés à sa construction, à son entretien et à la distribution équitable de l’eau

Al Aflaj and the related oral traditions, knowledge and skills of construction, maintenance and equitable water distribution are a source of pride for the associated communities. Al Aflaj is a traditional irrigation system which uses an underground tunnel to conduct water over long distances from an underground source to a basin, where...

Middle EastUnited Arab EmiratesNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Al Sadu, traditional weaving skills in the United Arab Emirates

Al Sadu, tissage traditionnel dans les Émirats arabes unis

Between 2011 and 2023, a safeguarding programme was put in place to address the risk of disappearance of Al Sadu weaving, whose know-how is preserved by a dwindling number of older women. Thanks to the combined efforts and resources of social actors, research, documentation, knowledge transfer, dissemination, marketing support, and...

Middle EastUnited Arab EmiratesNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Ancient Georgian traditional Qvevri wine-making method

La méthode géorgienne de vinification à l’ancienne dans des kvevris traditionnels

Qvevri wine-making is practised throughout Georgia, particularly in village communities where unique varieties of grapes are grown. The Qvevri is an egg-shaped earthenware vessel used for making, ageing and storing the wine. Knowledge and experience of Qvevri manufacture and wine-making are passed down by families, neighbours, friends...

Middle EastGeorgiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques

L’art de la construction en pierre sèche : savoir-faire et techniques

The art of dry stone construction refers to the practice of building with stone without using binding material. Practised in various countries in Europe, it requires an innate understanding of geometry and physics, as well as skills to handle the raw materials used. Dry stone construction is achieved through the careful selection and...

Global DiasporasCroatia / CyprusNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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UNESCO urgent safeguarding list1 sources

Art of pottery-making of Chăm people

L’art de la poterie du peuple Chăm

Chăm pottery products are mainly household utensils, religious objects and fine art works, including jars, pots, trays and vases. They are made by women and viewed as an expression of individual creativity based on the knowledge transmitted within the community. Instead of using a turntable, the women revolve around the piece to shape...

Southeast AsiaViet NamNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Bisalhães black pottery manufacturing process

Le processus de fabrication de la poterie noire de Bisalhães

Bisalhães in Portugal is known as ‘the land of pot and pan producers’ or more specifically, where black pottery is made. Designed for decorative and cooking purposes, the traditional practice that features on the village’s coat of arms has been an important part of the community’s identity, with old methods still used today to create...

EuropePortugalNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Bisht (men's Abaa): skills and practices

Le bisht (abaa pour hommes) : savoir-faire et pratiques

Bisht is a traditional outer garment worn by men during special occasions such as births, weddings, funerals, ceremonies and festivals. The long garment, which is worn over regular clothes, is draped over the shoulders, wrapped across the chest and held on one side, leaving the right hand free for greetings. The style varies according...

Middle EastQatar / BahrainNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Ceremonial Keşkek tradition

La tradition cérémonielle du Keşkek

Keşkek is a traditional Turkish ceremonial dish prepared for wedding ceremonies, circumcisions and religious holidays. Women and men work together to cook wheat and meat called ‘Keşkek’ in huge cauldrons, then serve it to the guests. The wheat is washed with prayers the preceding day, and then carried to a large stone mortar, to the...

Middle EastTürkiyeNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Charfia fishing in the Kerkennah Islands

La pêche à la charfiya aux îles Kerkennah

Charfia fishing in the Kerkennah Islands is a traditional, passive fishing technique that capitalises on the hydrographic conditions, seabed contours and natural resources both at sea and on land. The ‘charfia’ is a fixed fishery system consisting of palm fronds embedded in the seabed to create a triangular barrier, blocking the path of...

AfricaTunisiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Chinese Zhusuan, knowledge and practices of mathematical calculation through the abacus

Le zhusuan chinois, connaissances et pratiques du calcul mathématique au boulier

Chinese Zhusuan is a time-honoured traditional method of performing mathematical calculations with an abacus. Practitioners can perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponential multiplication, root and more complicated equations by moving beads along the abacus rods according to defined formulas. Chinese Zhusuan has...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Craftsmanship and performance art of the Tar, a long-necked string musical instrument

La facture et la pratique musicale du tar, instrument à cordes à long manche

The Tar is a long-necked plucked lute, traditionally crafted and performed in communities throughout Azerbaijan. Considered by many to be the country’s leading musical instrument, it features alone or with other instruments in numerous traditional musical styles. Tar makers transmit their skills to apprentices, often within the family....

Middle EastAzerbaijanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Craftsmanship of Horezu ceramics

Le savoir-faire de la céramique traditionnelle de Horezu

Horezu ceramics are a unique traditional craft. Handmade in the northern part of Vâlcea County, Romania, they reflect generations of knowledge and craftsmanship. Men and women generally divide the fabrication processes. Men select and extract the earth, which is then cleaned, cut, watered, kneaded, trampled and mixed – transforming it...

EuropeRomaniaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Cultural practices and expressions linked to Krama, a traditional woven textile in Cambodia

Les pratiques et expressions culturelles liées au krama, un textile traditionnel tissé au Cambodge

Krama is a woven textile associated with traditional practices and cultural expressions of the daily life in Cambodia. A rectangular cloth made of either cotton or silk, krama features a variety of grid-pattern motifs. The white, yellow, red and blue dyes used are extracted from natural vegetation and insects, and the cloth is woven...

Southeast AsiaCambodiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Falconry, a living human heritage

La fauconnerie, un patrimoine humain vivant

Falconry is the traditional art and practice of training and flying falcons (and sometimes eagles, hawks, buzzards and other birds of prey). It has been practised for over 4000 years. The practice of falconry in early and medieval periods of history is documented in many parts of the world. Originally a means of obtaining food, falconry...

Global DiasporasUnited Arab Emirates / AustriaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Georgian wheat culture: traditions and rituals

La culture géorgienne du blé : traditions et rituels

Georgian wheat culture involves a set of practices and rituals based on the cultivation and use of local varieties of endemic wheat. It also encompasses the use of related objects, such as traditional labour tools, stone mills and hand-made bread ovens. For the practising communities, endemic wheat is a symbol of life, growth and...

Middle EastGeorgiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Grass mowing competition custom in Kupres

La tradition du concours de fauchage d’herbe à Kupres

The most important social event in the Kupres municipality is the annual mowing competition that takes place in July at a specific meadow called Strljanica, which is also the local name for the custom. The contest involves the manual mowing of grass using a scythe and is judged by the time, effort and amount mown as cutting grass at...

EuropeBosnia and HerzegovinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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UNESCO urgent safeguarding list1 sources

Handmade weaving in Upper Egypt (Sa'eed)

Le tissage à la main en Haute-Égypte (Sa’eed)

The craft tradition ‘Handmade weaving in Upper Egypt (Sa’eed)’ is a complex process that requires time, effort, patience and practice. Many steps and techniques are involved in the loom preparation, threading and weaving to achieve the final product; it is a work of precision and intricate workmanship. For centuries, men and women have...

AfricaEgyptNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Harees dish: know-how, skills and practices

Le plat harees : savoir, savoir-faire et pratiques

Harees is a popular traditional dish made with wheat grain, meat and ghee. Typically consumed at breakfast and dinner, the dish is usually made in big quantities because of the effort required to clean and grind the grain. It is served in large dishes that are shared by several people, and eaten using the thumb and forefinger while...

Middle EastUnited Arab Emirates / OmanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in Malta

Le ftira, art culinaire et culture du pain plat au levain à Malte

Il-Ftira, culinary art and culture of flattened sourdough bread in Malta, is a key part of the cultural heritage of the inhabitants of the Maltese archipelago. Ftira has a thick crust and light internal texture, characterized by large, irregular holes (an open crumb). It is flatter than other Maltese breads and has a hotter baking...

EuropeMaltaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Kithul Madeema/Kithul Kapeema, an ancient indigenous technology for tapping Kithul in Sri Lanka

Kithul Madeema/Kithul Kapeema, une ancienne technique autochtone d’entaillage du kithul au Sri Lanka

In rural village communities in Sri Lanka, kithul madeema, or kithul tapping, is a traditional method of collecting sap from the kithul tree, a tall palm found in forests and home gardens. The process entails climbing the tree using a ladder and wrapping the flower stalk with vine. A sacred tapping knife is then used to cut the stalk...

South AsiaSri LankaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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UNESCO urgent safeguarding list1 sources

Knowledge and skills of the water measurers of the foggaras or water bailiffs of Touat and Tidikelt

Les savoirs et savoir-faire des mesureurs d’eau des foggaras ou aiguadiers du Touat-Tidikelt

The element concerns the knowledge and skills of the water measurers of the foggaras (system of channels), or water bailiffs, of the ksour (village) communities of Touat and Tidikelt. The water measurers are involved in various operations, from calculating water shares to repairing distribution combs and conducting water in the channel....

AfricaAlgeriaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Knowledge, craft and skills of handmade glass production

Connaissances, techniques et savoir-faire du verre artisanal

Traditional handmade glass production entails shaping and decorating hot and cold glass to produce hollow glass objects, flat glass and crown glass. It is characterised by the high degree of craftsmanship inherent to the work and by strong team values due to the need to respect the previous steps performed by other glassmakers. Most...

EuropeCzechia / FinlandNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mangwengwe dance

La danse mangwengwe

The Mangwengwe is a traditional dance that is performed by the Mambwe and Namwanga people of Zambia. Dating to pre-colonial times, it is characterized by circular movements of the shoulders and sometimes waist. The performance involves a lead singer or dancer, supporting singers and dancers, hand-clappers and musicians. The rhythm is...

AfricaZambiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Mongolian knuckle-bone shooting

Le tir aux osselets mongol

Mongolians revere certain parts of bones of their domestic livestock and use them in religious rites, plays and traditional games. One such popular team-based game is knuckle-bone shooting. Teams of six to eight players flick thirty domino-like marble tablets on a smooth wooden surface towards a target of sheep knuckle-bones, aiming to...

East AsiaMongoliaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage

Le nuad thai, massage thaïlandais traditionnel

Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage is regarded as part of the art, science and culture of traditional Thai healthcare. As a non-medicinal remedy and manual therapy, it involves bodily manipulation in which the practitioner helps rebalance the patient’s body, energy and structure to treat illnesses believed to be caused by the...

Southeast AsiaThailandNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Oshituthi shomagongo, marula fruit festival

Le oshituthi shomagongo, festival des fruits du marula

The Oshituthi shomagongo, marula fruit festival is a celebration that lasts two to three days between March and April, uniting the eight Aawambo communities of northern Namibia through the consumption of ''omagongo'', a beverage made from marula fruit. In preparation for the festival, men carve wooden goblets and small serving gourds,...

AfricaNamibiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Pehlevanliq culture: traditional zorkhana games, sports and wrestling

La culture du pehlevanliq : jeux, sports et lutte traditionnels de zorkhana

Pehlevanliq culture in Azerbaijan includes games and sports, such as wrestling, and individual performances. Pehlevans use specific tools that resemble medieval weapons (such as swords, shields and bows), but are heavier (originally, to allow pehlevans to handle real weapons easily). The competitions are overseen by referees and...

Middle EastAzerbaijanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Register of Good Safeguarding Practices1 sources

Safeguarding programme for Al Sadu, traditional weaving skills in the United Arab Emirates

Le programme de sauvegarde pour Al Sadu, tissage traditionnel dans les Émirats arabes unis

Since the advent of oil wealth, the dispersion of Bedouin communities to cities, the gradual abandonment of pastoral activities, and the social changes associated with these processes have created threatening conditions for the art of Al Sadu weaving. The time required for artisanal production, the need for traditional knowledge about...

Middle EastUnited Arab EmiratesNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Tchopa, sacrificial dance of the Lhomwe people of southern Malawi

La tchopa, danse sacrificielle des Lomwe du sud du Malawi

Tchopa is a performing art practised among Lhomwe communities in southern Malawi. The dance is usually performed during celebrations after good harvests and successful hunting trips and during offerings to ancestral spirits after calamities such as droughts and outbreaks of disease. Tchopa entails knowledge of particular dancing skills...

AfricaMalawiNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Timber rafting

Le radelage

Timber rafting in Austria, Czechia, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Spain originated in the Middle Ages, when rafts were used to transport wood, goods and people using natural water flows. In the past, rafters traveling to remote destinations spent weeks living and working together on their raft. As a result, a community sharing the...

EuropeAustria / CzechiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Tinian marble craftsmanship

Le savoir-faire artisanal tiniote du marbre

The art of marble-carving is an expression of the cultural identity of Tinos. Marble craftspeople possess empirical knowledge of the composition and structure of marble-bearing rock, the properties of each kind of marble, and the manipulation of its veins. Marble-carving workshops produce a range of traditional motifs, patterns and...

EuropeGreeceNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Tradition of Nabulsi soap making in Palestine

La tradition de la fabrication du savon Nablus en Palestine

Nabulsi is a hand-crafted soap made in Palestine made from three natural, local ingredients: olive oil, water and lye. The practitioners make the soap after the olive harvest, adding their family’s stamp before packaging it and storing it for one year. Most families in Palestine share the tradition, with both men and women taking part...

Middle EastPalestine, State ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional craft of Naga motif weaving in Lao communities

L’artisanat traditionnel du tissage du motif naga dans les communautés lao

The Naga is a mythical, serpent-like creature that lives in rivers. Lao people believe that Naga are ancestors that watch over them. To show their respect, they add Naga motifs to different objects, the most common of which is textiles through weaving. Naga motifs are woven by hand using a traditional wooden loom. The motif is created...

Southeast AsiaLao People's Democratic RepublicNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridges

La conception et les pratiques traditionnelles de construction des ponts chinois de bois en arc

Wooden arch bridges are found in Fujian Province and Zhejiang Province, along China’s southeast coast. The traditional design and practices for building these bridges combine the use of wood, traditional architectural tools, craftsmanship, the core technologies of ‘beam-weaving’ and mortise and tenon joints, and an experienced...

East AsiaChinaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional knowledge and practices for the making and consumption of cassava bread

Le savoir-faire et les pratiques traditionnels liés à la fabrication et à la consommation de la cassave

Cassava bread is a round bread made from the cassava tuber. The bread is generally made from the bitter variety of cassava so that it can be preserved for a longer time, although sweet cassava is sometimes used. Cassava bread is usually a part of meals but can be consumed on its own. In Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras and...

Latin America and CaribbeanCuba / Dominican RepublicNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional knowledge and technologies relating to the growing and processing of the curagua

Les connaissances et technologies traditionnelles liées à la culture et à la transformation de la curagua

The traditional knowledge and technologies related to the growing and processing of curagua encompass a complex set of practices concerning the cultivation of the plant and the extraction of white fibres, which are characterized by their strength, durability and softness. The fibres are woven into thread and used to produce a range of...

Latin America and CaribbeanVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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UNESCO urgent safeguarding list1 sources

Traditional knowledge, methods and practices concerning olive cultivation

Les connaissances, méthodes et pratiques traditionnelles associées à la culture de l’olive

In Türkiye, olive cultivation refers to grafting, pruning and fertilizing wild olive trees, called delice, and to picking, harvesting and processing the olives. The methods used are based on traditional knowledge and practices concerning nature, such as ideal soil characteristics, climate and manure. The olive trees are grafted and...

Middle EastTürkiyeNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional Saree weaving art of Tangail

L’art traditionnel du tissage de sari de Tangail

The saree is a traditional handwoven fabric, characteristic of the Basak and Jhola communities, respectively composed by Hindus and Muslims. It is made from cotton, silk or jute using a special weaving technique. Tangail sarees are characterized by their fine texture, detailed designs and local patterns, making each piece a work of art...

South AsiaBangladeshNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan

Les savoir-faire, les techniques et les connaissances traditionnels liés à la conservation et à la transmission de l’architecture en bois au Japon

The conservation and transmission of wooden architecture consists in a set of traditional skills, techniques and knowledge to build new wooden structures and restore existing ones. This includes skills such as plastering, the cultivation and harvesting of raw materials, lacquer painting of traditional structures, and many more....

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional turkmen carpet making art in Turkmenistan

L’art traditionnel de la fabrication des tapis turkmènes au Turkménistan

Traditional turkmen carpet making art in Turkmenistan relates to the production of traditional Turkmen carpets and carpet products: hand-woven woolen textile products decorated with ornamental art. The carpets feature a dense texture ornamented with characteristic coloured patterns pertaining to one of the five main Turkmen tribes. They...

Central AsiaTurkmenistanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Traditional violin craftsmanship in Cremona

Le savoir-faire traditionnel du violon à Crémone

Cremonese violin craftsmanship is highly renowned for its traditional process of fashioning and restoring violins, violas, cellos and contrabasses. Violin-makers attend a specialized school, based on a close teacher-pupil relationship, before being apprenticed in a local workshop, where they continue to master and perfect their...

EuropeItalyNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Washi, craftsmanship of traditional Japanese hand-made paper

Le washi, savoir-faire du papier artisanal traditionnel japonais

Washi craftsmanship refers to the traditional practice of making paper by hand using the fibres of the paper mulberry plant. The fibres are first separated, then soaked in clear river water to thicken before being filtered through a bamboo screen. This traditional, hand-made paper is used not only for letter writing, books and...

East AsiaJapanNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Weaving of Mosi (fine ramie) in the Hansan region

Le tissage du Mosi (ramie fine) dans la région de Hansan

Weaving of Mosi in Hansan is transmitted by middle-aged women in the township located in South Chungcheong Province, Republic of Korea. The region boasts fertile land and sea winds that allow ramie plants to thrive. Weaving ramie cloth involves a number of processes, including harvesting, boiling and bleaching ramie plants, spinning...

East AsiaKorea, Republic ofNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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Zlakusa pottery making, hand-wheel pottery making in the village of Zlakusa

La fabrication de la poterie de Zlakusa, poterie au tour manuel dans le village de Zlakusa

Zlakusa pottery making, hand-wheel pottery making in the village of Zlakusa relates to the knowledge and skills involved in making unglazed vessels for thermic food processing. Used in households and restaurants across Serbia, Zlakusa pottery is made of clay and calcite and the wheel is run exclusively by hand. The process takes seven...

EuropeSerbiaNot specified in UNESCO dataset
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