Iran joins seven countries in a shared UNESCO nomination for traditional felt making

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Iran joins seven countries in a shared UNESCO nomination for traditional felt making

21 October 2026

The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of eight countries behind a single joint nomination for traditional felt making. Its partners in the file are Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkiye and Uzbekistan. Felt is a dense material pressed from wool without weaving, and it is used for carpets, prayer mats, yurt coverings and clothing. The nomination is one of 64 that UNESCO has received, put forward by 82 countries in all. They go before the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. That committee holds its twenty-first session at Xiamen in China, from 30 November to 5 December, with an opening event the day before. A joint file of this kind lets several states share one living practice rather than each claiming it alone.

Countries in the felt making file: 8, including Iran Nominations before the committee: 64, from 82 countries Session venue: Xiamen, China

Why it matters for exams: The name of the intangible heritage committee, the Xiamen session and the eight-country felt making file are the kind of named facts objective papers draw on.

Kerala PSCUPSC

21 October 2026 Source: UNESCO

In plain words

Intangible cultural heritage Living practices, knowledge and skills — Practices a community keeps alive, such as a craft, a music form or a festival, as against a building or a site.