On January 31, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held a working meeting at which it became known that dutar making, performing musical art and the art of bakhshi were included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Turkmenistan has been dealing with this issue since 2020.
According to the state news agency TDH , the meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov , Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Education, Health and Sports Sapardurdy Toylyev and Deputy Prime Minister for Culture and Media Myahridjemal Mammedova .
The positive decision was made during the 16th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, held in Paris on December 13-18, 2021. On January 30, the original of the relevant Certificate was received from UNESCO.
In honor of this event, the head of state instructed Meredov to prepare national and international events, as well as to continue work on including the art of Akhal-Teke breeding, national features of Alabay breeding , as well as the Turkmen art of embroidery in the UNESCO List .
Toylyev was ordered to speed up the process of creating UNESCO chairs at the Magtymguly Turkmen State University and the Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute named after Seyitnazar Seydi, as well as to include a number of the country's secondary schools in the UNESCO Association of Schools.
Mammadova was instructed to:
• urgently prepare the Order of events to be held in the velayats and Ashgabat;
• to hold a conference and exhibition at the Mukams Palace on February 1, as well as to present certificates of awarding the title “Çeper döredijiligin halk ussasy” to distinguished dutar makers from the velayats and the capital;
• Organize a TV recording of the concert of bakhshi musicians and broadcast it on the air. “It is advisable to hold such concerts in the buildings of Türkmenin ak öýi” ( White yurts ) of the country's velayats,” the head of state said;
• Put on performances in theaters dedicated to the theme of the dutar and broadcast them in a telecast format (theaters are currently closed to visitors due to anti-COVID measures – ed. note).
On this occasion, the President also signed a congratulatory Address to the people of the country.
Recall that at present, from Turkmenistan, the World Heritage List includes historical and cultural monuments of Ancient Merv, Kunyaurgench, Ancient Nisa, as well as the Gorogly epic, the Kushtdepdi dance and the art of hand-made carpet weaving.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan