Home UNESCO Lists Intangible Cultural Heritage Dabkeh, Traditional Dance in Palestine

Dabkeh, Traditional Dance in Palestine

Dabkeh, Traditional Dance in Palestine

Dabkeh is a popular Palestinian group dance accompanied by traditional music and singing, symbolizing social unity at festivals, weddings, and graduations. It involves eleven dancers, regardless of gender, forming lines or semicircles, and is characterized by synchronized jumps and foot stomping to express joy.
This dance, deeply ingrained in Palestinian culture, is learned informally through participation in community celebrations and formally in educational settings. Dabkeh not only strengthens social bonds but also serves as a vibrant expression of cultural identity and heritage.

Dabkeh, Traditional Dance in Palestine was inscribed in 2023 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Palestine.
by Sarah Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dabkeh, Traditional Dance in Palestine

Date of Inscription

2023