Iraq: UNESCO decision on the Arbaeen Visit is an unprecedented act

Iraq praised, on Saturday, the decision of UNESCO to inscribe the provision of services of the Arbaeen Visit on the List of Intangible Heritage, stressing that it represents recognition of

Iraq praised, on Saturday, the decision of UNESCO to inscribe the provision of services of the Arbaeen Visit on the List of Intangible Heritage, stressing that it represents recognition of Iraq and a tribute to Iraqis for their role in preserving folklore and heritage.

The Permanent Representative of Iraq to UNESCO, Ambassador Mahmoud Al-Mulla Khalaf, said in a statement reported by the Al-Sabah newspaper, that the UNESCO decision represents a recognition of Iraq and a tribute to the Iraqis for their role in preserving folklore and heritage, especially the provision of services in the Arbaeen Visit, because it is a rare and distinguished cultural act, indicating that recording such a cultural act at UNESCO happens for the first time.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage had previously decided to include the hospitality of Arbaeen on the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage List among fifteen global cultural practices.

It is noteworthy that Iraq has managed over the past years to register several civilizational sites on the list of the World Heritage of the United Nations Culture, Education and Science Organization “UNESCO”, such as the Erbil Citadel, the Marshes of Jabayesh, Ur, Aridu and Warka civilizations, and the Babylonian civilization.