- Semsemiah: Instrument Crafting and Playing
-
Semsemiah: Instrument Crafting and Playing
Semsemiah is a popular harp-like musical instrument traditionally crafted and played by communities in the Suez Canal and Red Sea regions. Its body is attached to three wooden poles forming a triangular shape, and it is often made by the players themselves using natural or reused materials such as wood and metal.
The instrument is played by musicians, singers, sailors, fishermen, and others connected with coastal and maritime life. It appears in concerts, weddings, holidays, football celebrations, and cultural festivals.
The skills of making and playing the semsemiah are passed down informally through families, communities, bands, master players, and craftspeople, while workshops, training courses, and social media also support its transmission. Closely linked to the sea, semsemiah music strengthens social cohesion, shared expression, and community gatherings.
Semsemiah: Instrument Crafting and Playing was inscribed in 2024 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Egypt, Saudi Arabia.
Mansour mohsen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Semsemiah: Instrument Crafting and Playing
Date of Inscription
2024
- See also in Saudi Arabia
-
Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, Female Traditional Interior Wall Decoration in Asir Alardah Alnajdiyah, Dance, Drumming and Poetry in Saudi Arabia Alheda’a, Oral Traditions of Calling Camel Flocks Almezmar, Drumming and Dancing with Sticks Arabic Calligraphy: Knowledge, Skills and Practices Arabic Coffee, a Symbol of Generosity Arabic Kohl Arts, Skills and Practices Associated with Engraving on Metals (Gold, Silver and Copper) Bisht (men’s Abaa): Skills and Practices Cultural Practices Related to Taif Roses Date Palm, Knowledge, Skills, Traditions and Practices Falconry, a Living Human Heritage Harees dish: Know-How, Skills and Practices Henna: Rituals, Aesthetic and Social Practices Knowledge and Practices Related to Cultivating Khawlani Coffee Beans Majlis, a Cultural and Social Space Traditional Weaving of Al Sadu
- Related Links