Kyrgyz national game Toguz Korgool included in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

Bishkek, Dec. 24, 2020 / Kabar /. The traditional intellectual and strategic game Toguz Korgool is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, executive secretary of the National Commission of Kyrgyzstan for UNESCO Sabira Soltongeldieva said at a press conference at the Kabar Agency. She said that the decision was taken on Dec. 17, 2020 at the 15th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which is being held online in Kingston, Jamaica, from December 14 to 19, 2020. “The nomination titled “Traditional intellectual and strategic game Toguz Korgool, Togyz Kumalak, Mangala” is a joint nomination of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkey,” she said. At the same time, the secretary pointed out that this nomination was prepared by the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO in cooperation with the Toguz Korgool Federation, the Aigine Cultural Research Center in 2019. "In total, at the meeting of the Committee this year, 42 nominations were presented for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 4 nominations for the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, and 4 nominations for the Register of Best Practices from different countries of the world," she noted. Intangible cultural heritage includes customs and forms of creativity that have been passed down from generation to generation. Among them are oral traditions, performing arts, social ceremonies, festive and ritual ceremonies, knowledge and representations related to nature and the universe, as well as the techniques of traditional crafts.