site.btaBulgarian Bagpipe Tradition Makes UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

The Bulgarian bagpipe and the tradition of bagpipe playing have now been officially included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The announcement was made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on its account on the social network X.

The message reads: “New inscription on the #IntangibleCulturalHeritage list: Bagpipes and the tradition of bagpipe playing in Bulgaria: transmission of knowledge and skills, #Bulgaria. Congratulations!”

The decision was made during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in New Delhi, India, from Monday, December 8, through Saturday.

It comes after Bulgaria prepared a national nomination this year for inclusion in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity with the following dossier: “Bagpipes and the tradition of bagpipe playing in Bulgaria – transmission of knowledge and skills.”

For a practice or craft to be officially recognized as intangible cultural heritage, it must be passed down from generation to generation and kept alive by a community, among other criteria. “Intangible cultural heritage is a symbol of cultural engagement, diversity, and vitality,” said Christoph Wulf, Vice President of the German Commission of UNESCO.

This year, experts will review 11 nominations for the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, 54 nominations for inscription in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and one proposal for the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices.