Iran asks UNESCO to register polo as multinational element

TEHRAN,Oct.30(MNA) -- Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) has asked the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to registered chogan (polo) as a multinational element on its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Republic of Azerbaijan has previously applied for registration of the element on the list exclusively from the country. In a letter that CHTHO Director Mohammad-Ali Najafi sent to UNESCO on Monday, he “strongly” asked the organization “to send back the documents Azerbaijan provided for chogan and to convince the country to unite with other countries, which have other versions of this game, to provide a common file for inscribing the element on the list. CHTHO Deputy Director Mehdi Hojjat said last week that Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, along with Iran, have a claim on the game and added, “There is a consensus among all these countries that Azerbaijan does not have the right to register the activity on UNESCO’s list solely for itself.” Chogan along with some other elements from across the world will be examined for registration on UNESCO’s list during the 8th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan from December 2 to 7. Noruz, the ancient celebration of the Iranian New Year that begins on the first day of spring, was registered as a common element from Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan on the UNESCO list in 2009. Noruz is celebrated and observed principally in Iran but has spread to many other parts of the world, including parts of Central Asia, Caucasus, Northwestern China, the Crimea and some groups in the Balkans.