Earlier this month, we reported that in total, ten elements of Middle Eastern and North African culture had made their way into the very selective and gratifying UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. From Algerian Raï and Tunisian Harissa to Jordanian Mansaf, to name just a few, all are now promised to be safeguarded and preserved by the United Nation’s dedicated body, ensuring that none of the chosen skills and practices will be forgotten or dismissed and instead will be safely passed on to future generations.
Last week, it was announced that the Levant’s much-famed and mouthwatering Manakeesh would see an application be submitted to UNESCO in an attempt to shield its recipe and surrounding knowledge with as much vim as the other elements of the region that recently made the cut.
صارت #المنقوشة مرشحة للتسجيل على لائحة #الاونسكو للتراث العالمي غير المادي. مبروك #لبنان الذي انجز الملف وسلمه كاملا امس. وعلى امل الا تحرم الازمة المستمرة اللبنانيين من منقوشتهم،فتكتمل الفرحة بالتسجيل السنة المقبلة اسوة بالباغيت الفرنسية والبيتزا الايطالية.#منقوشة #مناقيش pic.twitter.com/WtWBYQDVzZ
— Sahar Baassiri سحر بعاصيري (@SaharBaassiri) December 15, 2022
Lebanon’s ambassador and permanent representative to UNESCO in Paris, Sahar Baassiri, shared the exciting news through her official Twitter account explaining that the Cedar country had made “Manousheh become a candidate for registration on the UNESCO list of intangible world heritage” in the hope to inscribe the soft dough bread usually topped with thyme, cheese, or meat the same way France etched its baguette or Italy added its world famous Pizza.
Reactions over Twitter were unanimously positive, cheering at the possibility to see such a staple dish reach such staggering heights. Although the application has not been accepted just yet, expect us to root for the delicious flatbread to be added in the days, months, or years to come, hopefully bringing some kind of happiness and joy to a country that’s been struggling for far too long.
