- Henna: Rituals, Aesthetic and Social Practices
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Henna: Rituals, Aesthetic and Social Practices
Henna is a traditional plant-based practice common in hot regions, especially across North Africa and the Middle East. Its leaves are harvested, dried, and ground to prepare a paste used for adornment, particularly by women to dye hair, fingertips, hands, and feet.
Henna is closely associated with joy and celebration, appearing in daily life as well as special occasions such as weddings and births. Its rituals are often accompanied by songs, chants, proverbs, and poems, and are linked to long-standing social customs.
The knowledge of growing henna, preparing the paste, and applying it is passed down through families and communities, while beauty centers, universities, media, and cultural organizations also help preserve and transmit the tradition today.
Henna: Rituals, Aesthetic and Social Practices was inscribed in 2024 on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen.
Egil Kvaleberg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimadari, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Rawan Rayef, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Henna: Rituals, Aesthetic and Social Practices
Date of Inscription
2024
- See also in Oman
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Al ‘azi, Elegy, Processional March and Poetry Al-Ayyala, a Traditional Performing Art of the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates Al-Bar’ah, Music and Dance of Oman Dhofari Valleys Al-Khanjar, Craft Skills and Social Practices Al-Razfa, a Traditional Performing Art Al-Taghrooda, Traditional Bedouin Chanted Poetry in the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman Alheda’a, Oral Traditions of Calling Camel Flocks Arabic Calligraphy: Knowledge, Skills and Practices Arabic Coffee, a Symbol of Generosity Arabic Kohl Bisht (men’s Abaa): Skills and Practices Camel Racing, a Social Practice and a Festive Heritage Associated with Camels Date Palm, Knowledge, Skills, Traditions and Practices Harees dish: Know-How, Skills and Practices Horse and Camel Ardhah Majlis, a Cultural and Social Space Oman Youth Sail Training Ship (Safinat Shabab Oman) Programme for Peace and Sustainable Cultural Dialogue
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