UNESCO recognizes Azerbaijan’s tandir craftsmanship and bread baking as intangible heritage

Azerbaijan’s traditional tandır craftsmanship and bread baking have been officially included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The decision was made during the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asuncion, Paraguay, News.Az reports, citing the Permanent Delegation of Azerbaijan to the UNESCO.

"Tandirs are traditional pottery ovens used in Azerbaijan to make bread and sometimes meat and poultry. Today, masters mostly craft two types of tandirs: surface and underground ovens. The bread baked in tandirs is considered a key to longevity and is an integral part of the daily diets of the people of Azerbaijan. It can be stored for a long time and eaten over several days. Tandirs and bread baking are believed to promote solidarity. They embrace a large number of oral traditions, beliefs, rituals, cultural functions and meanings," reads the report.

"The knowledge of tandir craftsmanship is transmitted within families through observation and practice. The baking knowledge is also passed on within families through oral communication and instruction. Young women and men from the same families observe, participate in and help with the baking process. Parents eagerly share the knowledge, beliefs and expressions about tandir and bread with their children, teaching them to treat the bread with respect. Baking in tandirs is a sort of ritual that strengthens social bonds and supports family and neighborhood ties. Traditionally, communities offer bread to children and guests first. People believe that this brings prosperity to the household. Tandir-baked bread is also a source of livelihood."

To date, 23 elements of Azerbaijani culture have been included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

News.Az