Ajloun: The importance of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage stands out as one of the foremost pillars of national identity, and a basic foundation for preserving collective memory and strengthening attachment to the homeland. Heritage is not limited to archaeological sites and historic buildings. It also includes customs and traditions, folk songs, inherited stories, handicrafts, performing arts, and social practices passed from one generation to the next, carrying in their details the features, values and history of society.
اضافة اعلان
Ajloun Culture Directorate Director Samer Al-Furaihat said intangible heritage in Jordan is an authentic part of national identity, as its elements reflect the diversity of the Jordanian environment and the richness of its cultural inheritance. These range from the traditions of hospitality and Arabic coffee to the samer and the dahiyya dance, embroidery arts, proverbs, and chants and songs tied to the community's celebrations and sorrows. These practices express a system of social values, chief among them generosity, mutual support, cooperation, and respect for family and community bonds.
He pointed out that the importance of intangible heritage lies not only in being a legacy from the past, but in its capacity to endure, renew itself and keep pace with the changes of the present. It is a living memory that preserves the experiences and expertise of ancestors, allowing new generations to learn about their cultural roots and understand the values that shaped their society and its identity. He stressed the commitment to this heritage, and said national identity is not a rigid concept but an integrated system formed from history, culture, language and shared values.
Mu'adh Al-Gharaibeh, chair of the Jabal Awf Cultural Forum, said safeguarding intangible heritage requires combined efforts from official, cultural and educational institutions, along with families, craftspeople, folk artists and local communities, who are the principal bearers of this heritage. These efforts include documenting oral narratives, recording songs and chants, collecting proverbs and folk tales, documenting traditional crafts, and holding festivals and events that let the public learn about and take part in elements of the cultural inheritance.
He added that involving elders and those with traditional expertise in documentation and training programmes is an important step in ensuring knowledge is passed on accurately. Schools, universities and cultural centres, meanwhile, help students understand the value of heritage through educational activities, competitions, exhibitions and field visits.
Journalist Amer Khatatbeh said the media plays a central role in this field, through reports and documentary programmes that highlight traditional crafts, folk arts and the stories connected with them. It also uses digital platforms and social media to present heritage in modern ways that attract young people, reaching a wider audience inside and outside Jordan. He stressed that young people are the link between past and future, and an essential element in sustaining intangible heritage. This can be achieved by encouraging them to learn traditional crafts, take part in artistic and heritage groups, produce digital content documenting customs and folk practices, and launch initiatives that connect heritage with everyday life.
Youssef Al-Momani, chair of the Al-Junaid Cultural Forum, said preserving heritage does not mean returning to the past or rejecting development, but making use of the tools of the age to protect cultural inheritance and highlight its value. Technology, when used responsibly, allows heritage materials to be preserved and made accessible, and helps introduce new generations to the elements of their national identity in an interactive way that matches their interests. Intangible heritage can also support the cultural economy and sustainable tourism, by empowering craftspeople and small-project owners, marketing traditional products, and organising heritage events and festivals, provided the authenticity of cultural practices is maintained and the rights of the communities that carry them are respected.
Writer Omar Al-Zghoul said UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage provides an important framework for protecting this inheritance, by encouraging states to document, safeguard, promote and pass it on to future generations, while stressing the role of local communities in identifying their heritage and taking part in protecting it. He said Jordan's interest in internationally recognised heritage elements reflects the importance of this inheritance in highlighting the richness of Jordanian and Arab culture and strengthening its presence globally. However, real protection is not achieved simply by registration or documentation. It requires that heritage continues to be practised in its social setting, that its bearers are supported, and that real opportunities are provided to learn, transmit and develop ways of introducing it.
He concluded that safeguarding intangible cultural heritage is an investment in national identity and collective memory, strengthening society's ability to preserve its cultural distinctiveness in a fast-changing world. He stressed that protecting intangible heritage is protecting people, their memory and their values, and preserving the features of national identity that give society its distinctiveness and cohesion, and keep its roots alive in the hearts of future generations.
