The 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage  kicked off in Kasane, Botswana  on December 4, 2023.    

Representatives of state parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage are participating in the session that will run until December 9, 2023.

The Tajik MFA information department says that on December 5, Tajikistan`s nomination "Traditions of Atlas and Adras weaving" was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Atlas and adras are two kinds of traditional woven fabrics produced in Tajikistan.  Atlas is made from silk threads, and adras is woven with silk and cotton threads, but the technique of creating both cloths is similar.  

Photo / Dilshod Rahimov, 2018.

There are many steps in the process, from gathering cocoons and collecting cotton, to spinning, wrapping, dyeing and weaving the threads by hand.

Dresses prepared from atlas and adras cloths are widely used by women and girls during celebrations, in the workplace, in schools and at home. Traditionally, the knowledge and skills related to the production of the atlas and adras are transmitted within families or in production centers.