UNESCO adds Iran’s ancient Sadeh festival to its cultural heritage list
Iran's traditional festival of Sadeh and the cultural and social practices surrounding Iftar have been officially recognized and added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage, IRNA reports.
The ancient festival of Sadeh, celebrated 50 days before the New Year (Nowruz), is one of Iran's oldest cultural ceremonies, dating back to the Achaemenid Empire. (550-330 B.C.)
The festivity honors the sacred elements of fire, water, wind, and soil to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold.
In ancient Iranian belief, the fire lit on this day symbolized the warming of the earth and its readiness for the arrival of the spring season.
In addition, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also recognized Iftar, the meal eaten by Muslims at sunset to break their fast during Ramadan, as the 23rd element of Iran’s intangible cultural heritage, in a joint dossier with the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
This collective dossier was submitted during the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, being held in Kasane, Republic of Botswana.