The Soul of the Middle East & South Asia

A Curated Digital Encyclopedia

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The Met Collection

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Lustreware Bowl with Calligraphy

Islamic Art Department

Lustreware Bowl with Calligraphy

Pectoral of Tutankhamun

Egyptian Art

Pectoral of Tutankhamun

Standing Bodhisattva

Asian Art

Standing Bodhisattva

Mughal Garden Miniature

South Asian Art

Mughal Garden Miniature

Living Traditions

UNESCO Intangible Heritage

Chogān, a horse-riding game accompanied by music and storytelling
Representative List

Chogān, a horse-riding game accompanied by music and storytelling

Chogān is a traditional horse-riding game accompanied by music and storytelling; it has a history of over 2,000 years in Iran and has mostly been…

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Baul songs
Representative List

Baul songs

The Bauls are mystic minstrels living in rural Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The Baul movement, at its peak in the nineteenth and early…

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Katta Ashula
Representative List

Katta Ashula

Katta Ashula (literally ‘big song’) is a type of traditional song that forms part of the identity of various peoples of the Ferghana Valley in…

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Ajanta Caves
Archaeological Wonders

Ancient Cities of the Silk Road

Discover the architectural majesty of ancient cities that once stood as the beating hearts of global trade, science, and art.

Ajanta Caves, India

Inscribed 1983

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, Türkiye

Inscribed 1985

Itchan Kala, Uzbekistan

Inscribed 1990

Curated Taxonomies

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Period

Antiquity to Modernity

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Medium

Silk, Stone, & Clay

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Culture

A Tapestry of Peoples

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Colombia UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 15 Elements
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Colombia UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 15 Elements

Colombia has 15 UNESCO ICH elements as of 2025 — 11 on the Representative List, 3 on the Urgent Safeguarding List, and…

Ukraine UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 7 Elements
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Ukraine UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 7 Elements

Ukraine has 7 UNESCO ICH elements as of 2025 — 4 on the Representative List, 2 on the Urgent Safeguarding List, and 1…

Peru UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 15 Elements
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Peru UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 15 Elements

Peru has 15 UNESCO ICH elements as of 2025 — 13 on the Representative List, 1 on the Urgent Safeguarding List, and 1 on…

Morocco UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 16 Elements
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Morocco UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 16 Elements

Morocco has 16 UNESCO ICH elements as of 2025 — 15 on the Representative List and 1 on the Urgent Safeguarding List…

Bulgaria UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 9 Elements
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Bulgaria UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 9 Elements

Bulgaria’s UNESCO intangible cultural heritage comprises 9 elements — 7 on the Representative List of the…

Malaysia UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 9 Elements
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Malaysia UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 9 Elements

Malaysia’s UNESCO intangible cultural heritage comprises 9 elements — 8 on the Representative List of the…