By AFP
December 4, 2024
Artisans have been using the same methods from 3,000 years to make the famous Aleppo soap - Copyright AFP/File -
The UN’s cultural organisation added Aleppo’s famous soap to its intangible cultural heritage list Tuesday with Syria’s second city again wracked by war.
Artisans have brewed olive and laurel oil in large pots for some 3,000 years in the city — which fell to Islamist-led rebels last week — allowing the mixture to cool before cutting it into blocks, and stamping them by hand.
Aleppo soap joins the city’s traditional music, Al-Qudoud al-Halabiya, on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, while the city itself — declared a world heritage site in 1986 — was added to the organisation’s endangered list in 2013 amid the country’s civil war.
Makers craft the product using “traditional knowledge and skills”, said UNESCO, adding they rely on a mix of natural, locally produced ingredients and a drying process that can take up to nine months.
Aleppo had been slowly recovering from the wounds inflicted by more than a decade of civil war when Islamist-led rebels captured the city last week in a shock offensive that put forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to flight.
Of the 100 soap factories in the city only about 10 remain, with many having relocated to Damascus or neighbouring Turkey.
But the soap remains essential to the families and communities involved in the trade.
“The collaborative production process promotes community and family unity,” said UNESCO.
UNESCO adds traditional Japanese sake brewing to Intangible Cultural Heritage list
UNESCO added Japan's process of sake brewing to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Artisans have been using the same methods from 3,000 years to make the famous Aleppo soap - Copyright AFP/File -
The UN’s cultural organisation added Aleppo’s famous soap to its intangible cultural heritage list Tuesday with Syria’s second city again wracked by war.
Artisans have brewed olive and laurel oil in large pots for some 3,000 years in the city — which fell to Islamist-led rebels last week — allowing the mixture to cool before cutting it into blocks, and stamping them by hand.
Aleppo soap joins the city’s traditional music, Al-Qudoud al-Halabiya, on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, while the city itself — declared a world heritage site in 1986 — was added to the organisation’s endangered list in 2013 amid the country’s civil war.
Makers craft the product using “traditional knowledge and skills”, said UNESCO, adding they rely on a mix of natural, locally produced ingredients and a drying process that can take up to nine months.
Aleppo had been slowly recovering from the wounds inflicted by more than a decade of civil war when Islamist-led rebels captured the city last week in a shock offensive that put forces loyal to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad to flight.
Of the 100 soap factories in the city only about 10 remain, with many having relocated to Damascus or neighbouring Turkey.
But the soap remains essential to the families and communities involved in the trade.
“The collaborative production process promotes community and family unity,” said UNESCO.
UNESCO adds traditional Japanese sake brewing to Intangible Cultural Heritage list
UNESCO added Japan's process of sake brewing to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
File Photo by Everett Kennedy Brown/EPA
Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization added traditional Japanese knowledge and skills used in the production of sake and "shochu" distilled spirits to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
It marked Japan's 23rd entry to the UNESCO list, pointing to how important it was to the cultural presence in Japanese society
Sake brewing is an ancient technique for fermenting rice and other ingredients with a "koji" mold. It involves multiple fermentation processes simultaneously in one vessel.
"Originally, sake was made only by women," UNESCO said in a statement. "As demand increased, men became involved in the process. Today, people of all genders can master the knowledge and skills. Sake-making is transmitted through apprenticeships."
The organization said that regional unions also support breweries, and two national organizations established by craftspeople contribute to the systemic transmission of the practice, with financial and technical support from the Japanese government.
"Since sake-making requires many hands and strong teamwork, the practice promotes social ties among the craftspeople," UNESCO said. "It also unites them with local residents, including the farmers who provide the ingredients, thus contributing to social cohesion."
Japanese travel agency president Marika Tazawa said the designation will be a boon not only to the tradition but also to people who will want to visit regionals to learn more about it.
"This will be a strong encouragement for the industry," Tazawa said, according to Kyodo News. "I hope it leads to more recognition and improvement in status.
Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization added traditional Japanese knowledge and skills used in the production of sake and "shochu" distilled spirits to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
It marked Japan's 23rd entry to the UNESCO list, pointing to how important it was to the cultural presence in Japanese society
Sake brewing is an ancient technique for fermenting rice and other ingredients with a "koji" mold. It involves multiple fermentation processes simultaneously in one vessel.
"Originally, sake was made only by women," UNESCO said in a statement. "As demand increased, men became involved in the process. Today, people of all genders can master the knowledge and skills. Sake-making is transmitted through apprenticeships."
The organization said that regional unions also support breweries, and two national organizations established by craftspeople contribute to the systemic transmission of the practice, with financial and technical support from the Japanese government.
"Since sake-making requires many hands and strong teamwork, the practice promotes social ties among the craftspeople," UNESCO said. "It also unites them with local residents, including the farmers who provide the ingredients, thus contributing to social cohesion."
Japanese travel agency president Marika Tazawa said the designation will be a boon not only to the tradition but also to people who will want to visit regionals to learn more about it.
"This will be a strong encouragement for the industry," Tazawa said, according to Kyodo News. "I hope it leads to more recognition and improvement in status.
