Art & Culture

Koshary, Bisht, and Kohl Among Newest Additions to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

BYYassine Hariss

December 11, 2025

Koshary, the staple Egyptian dish made up of lentils, pasta, and rice, has officially entered UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. This means that the dish long dismissed as an everyday fare is now being acknowledged as a custom worthy of preservation and appraisal.

Koshary isn’t the only new addition to the growing list of UN-protected heritage, with this year’s cohort expanding the catalogue even further. In total, 10 new elements were inscribed, including the Bisht, a garment worn by men on big or honorific occasions across the Gulf and some areas in the Levant; The Moroccan Kaftan, a centuries-old dress donned by women in the North African kingdom and considered a symbol of craftsmanship and elegance; And Al Sadu, a traditional weaving technique practiced across the Arab peninsula.

Established in 2008, the list aims at protecting non-physical cultural practices — traditions, skills, or garments — from fading out of collective memory, promoting their transmission and relevance in contemporary life. Over the years, a slew of our region’s recipes, techniques, and rituals have likewise been inscribed; including Arabic calligraphy, Falconry and Palestinian Tatreez, amongst many other expressions of culture.

Other additions to the list include Emirati Al Ahalla, a group-based poetic performance usually practiced at weddings; Kohl, the black eyeliner used across the region; The Al-Mihrass tree in Jordan, valued for its medicinal and cosmetic properties; The Kuwaiti Diwaniya, a social forum where men gather to debate; The Iraqi Al-Muhaibis, a Ramadan guessing game where two teams compete to locate a hidden ring; And the Yemeni Hadrami Dan, a vocal tradition performed in gatherings, marked by its call-and-response structure.

Forever protected and promoted by the world’s leading cultural institution, it is reassuring to know that, whichever way history will go, these practices will remain, remembered for what they were and are, who helped shape and define them, and the functions they fulfilled and continue to fulfill within their respective communities. With several new additions gracing the list this year, one can only hope that an even wider number will receive such recognition in those to come.

Koshary, Bisht, and Kohl Among Newest Additions to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Suggestions

Articles

Topics

Koshary, Bisht, and Kohl Among Newest Additions to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Related Stories

More From Art & Culture

Suggestions

Articles

Topics

Newsletter

The only newsletter you won't unsubscribe from

Follow Us