The Soul of the Middle East & South Asia

A Curated Digital Encyclopedia

Archives

The Met Collection

Explore the Archives
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

Al Azi, art of performing praise, pride and fortitude poetry
Urgent Safeguarding List

Al Azi, art of performing praise, pride and fortitude poetry

Al Azi is a traditional poetry recital performed by a group of individuals without rhythmical or musical instruments. It consists of a full-rhymed…

Explore
Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana
Representative List

Ramlila, the traditional performance of the Ramayana

Ramlila, literally “Rama’s play”, is a performance of then Ramayana epic in a series of scenes that include song, narration, recital and dialogue. It…

Explore
Crafting and playing the Oud
Representative List

Crafting and playing the Oud

The oud is a traditional, lute-type instrument played in Iran and Syria. The musician places the short-necked instrument on their leg, fretting with…

Explore
Taj Mahal
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.

Taj Mahal, India

Inscribed 1983

Historic Cairo, Egypt

Inscribed 1979

Meidan Emam, Esfahan, Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Inscribed 1979

Curated Taxonomies

Period

Period

Antiquity to Modernity

Medium

Medium

Silk, Stone, & Clay

Culture

Culture

A Tapestry of Peoples

Journal

From the Blog

All articles
Colombia UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Complete List of 15 Elements
Blog

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
Blog

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
Blog

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
Blog

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
Blog

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
Blog

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…