Turkish tea, Nasreddin Hodja makes it to UNESCO's cultural heritage list

Two of Türkiye's multinational values, its tea and a rich tradition of telling stories of renowned Seljuk-era satirist Nasreddin Hodja, have been added to the UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The nominations were inscribed in the UNESCO list during the 17th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Morocco's Rabat between November 28 and December 3.

Tea is a symbol of identity, hospitality and social interaction in Türkiye, whereas Nasreddin Hodja holds a unique place in the Turkish folklore. 

The nomination of Nasreddin Hodja's tradition was submitted with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday, adding that the nomination for tea was filed together with Azerbaijan.

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As of now, the number of Türkiye's cultural elements inscribed on the UNESCO list has reached 25.

"We will continue to cherish and carry our rich oral traditions and expressions into the future and promote our socially-embedded cultural elements which have a strong and deep-rooted tradition," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

Last week, the ministry had announced the inclusion of its multinational 'Sericulture and Traditional Production of Silk for Weaving' on the UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.