- 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 Saudi Arabia
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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 Knowledge and Practices Related to Cultivating Khawlani Coffee Beans Majlis, a Cultural and Social Space Semsemiah: Instrument Crafting and Playing Traditional Weaving of Al Sadu
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