List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Greece

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) intangible cultural heritage elements are the non-physical traditions and practices performed by a people. As part of a country's cultural heritage, they include celebrations, festivals, performances, oral traditions, music, and the making of handicrafts. ^[1] The "intangible cultural heritage" is defined by the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, drafted in 2003 ^[2] and took effect in 2006. ^[3] Inscription of new heritage elements on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists is determined by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, an organisation established by the convention. ^[4]

Greece ratified the convention on 3 January 2007.

Intangible Cultural Heritage elements

+ Transnational element

Representative List

Name	Image	Year	No.	Description
Mediterranean diet + [lower-alpha 1]		2013	00884 [5]	The Mediterranean diet is the traditional food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean basin, as well as everything related to it.
Know-how of cultivating mastic on the island of Chios		2014	00993 [6]	Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree ( Pistacia lentiscus ). It is also known as tears of Chios, being traditionally produced on the island Chios, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or droplets.
Tinian marble craftsmanship		2015	01103 [7]	Marble craftsmanship in the islant Tinos.
Momoeria, New Year's celebration in eight villages of Kozani area, West Macedonia, Greece		2016	01184 [8]	New Year's celebration in Kozani area (Western Macedonia).
Rebetiko		2017	01291 [9]	Rebetiko can be described as the urban popular song of the Greeks, especially the poorest, from the late 19th century to the 1950s, and served as the basis for further developments in popular Greek music.
Art of dry stone walling, knowledge and techniques + [lower-alpha 2]		2018	01393 [10]	Dry stone is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together.
Byzantine chant + [lower-alpha 3]		2019	01508 [11]	The Byzantine chant in the Eastern Orthodox liturgy dates back to the Byzantine Empire.
August 15 (Dekapentavgoustos) festivities in two Highland Communities of Northern Greece: Tranos Choros (Grand Dance) in Vlasti and Syrrako Festival		2022	01726 [12]	August 15 festivities: Grand Dance in Vlasti and Festival in Syrrako.
Transhumance, the seasonal droving of livestock + [lower-alpha 4]		2023	01964 [13]	Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures.

Good Safeguarding Practices

Name	Year	No.	Description
Polyphonic Caravan, researching, safeguarding and promoting the Epirus polyphonic song	2020	01611 [14]	The Polyphonic Caravan is a project to research, safeguard and promote the Epirus polyphonic song.

See also

• List of World Heritage Sites in Greece

Notes

1. Shared with Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
2. Shared with Croatia, Cyprus, France, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland.
3. Shared with Cyprus.
4. Shared with Albania, Andorra, Austria, Croatia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, and Spain.

References

1. "What is Intangible Cultural Heritage?". UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
2. "Text of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage". UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
3. "The States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003)". UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
4. "Functions of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage". UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
5. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mediterranean-diet-00884
6. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/know-how-of-cultivating-mastic-on-the-island-of-chios-00993
7. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/tinian-marble-craftsmanship-01103
8. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/momoeria-new-year-s-celebration-in-eight-villages-of-kozani-area-west-macedonia-greece-01184
9. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/rebetiko-01291
10. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/art-of-dry-stone-walling-knowledge-and-techniques-01393
11. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/byzantine-chant-01508
12. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/august-15th-dekapentavgoustos-festivities-in-two-highland-communities-of-northern-greece-tranos-choros-grand-dance-in-vlasti-and-syrrako-festival-01726
13. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/transhumance-the-seasonal-droving-of-livestock-01964
14. https://ich.unesco.org/en/BSP/polyphonic-caravan-researching-safeguarding-and-promoting-the-epirus-polyphonic-song-01611

External links

• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Official site
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in Greece: Official site