Inscription of "Traditional Skills of Crafting and Playing, Etiquettes and Culture of Backgammon (Takhte Nard)" on Iran's National ICH Inventory
Having approved by the National Council for the Inscription of Intangible Cultural Heritage in its session on Monday, November 13, 2023, "Traditional Skills of Crafting and Playing, Etiquettes and Culture of Backgammon (Takhte Nard)" was inscribed on Iran's national ICH inventory. The "Traditional Skills of Crafting and Playing, Etiquettes and Culture of Backgammon (Takhte Nard)" file was prepared and proposed by Mana Naqsh Institute, and Shahab Nikman, the managing director of the institute
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On Monday, November 13, 2023, following Article 12 of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO and Article 3 of the Statute of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Iran, in the session of the National Council for the Inscription of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the file "Traditional Skills of Crafting and Playing, Etiquettes and Culture of Backgammon (Takhte Nard)" which was prepared and proposed by Mana Naqsh Art & Culture Institute, was inscribed on Iran's national ICH inventory. Shahab Nikman, the managing director of Mana Naqsh, attended the session to present and defend the file.
Backgammon (Takhte Nard) is an authentic and classical Iranian board game and one of the most famous and widespread of this type of game, which is popular and well-known in many Middle Eastern and Western countries. This game is based on wisdom, intelligence, luck, foresight, counting, and strategy. Since ancient times, backgammon has been the symbol and manifestation of Iranians' belief in God, life, determinism and free will, and destiny; These beliefs are evident in the design and shape of the backgammon and the rules and methods of this game.
This ICH element, which was inscribed of national scope, is manifested in four out of the five intangible cultural heritage domains, including "oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage", "social practices, rituals and festive events", "knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe", and "traditional craftsmanship".
