TEHRAN – A total of eight cultural elements, which are passed down from generation to generation in Kordestan province, have recently been added to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts on Sunday announced the inscriptions in an official document it submitted to the governor-general of the western province, CHTN reported.

The local games of Taqilebesar and Chemeh Qujaili as well as the skills of making local dishes of Valush and Salimali were amongst entrees to the prestigious list.  

The talent of making Yeghan, a traditional decorative box, and the skill of making Berchavilkeh, a kind of fly mask for horses, were other elements being registered, the report added.

The name Kordestan refers to the region’s principal inhabitants. After the Turkish invasion of Iran in the 11th century CE (Seljuq period), the name Kurdistan was applied to the region comprising the northwestern Zagros Mountains. It was during the reign of Abbas I the Great of Iran’s Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) that the Kurds rose to prominence, having been enlisted by Abbas I to help stem the attacks of the marauding Uzbeks from the east in the early 17th century.

ABU/AFM