Olivia
January 6, Morocco: Moroccan Caftans to be on Intangible Cultural Heritage List by the UNESCO. Traditionally dresses have evolved with various styles from the 16th Century, Caftans hold a special place in the Moroccan people’s hearts, which also holds a huge cultural importance in the country.
With the upcoming fashion trends, the styles of the caftans have evolved with time, with the fashion trends that came along but one of the items that remained popular was the Caftan which has still been worn as a part of their tradition. One of the members also said, “The Moroccan Caftan is a traditional official costume of Morocco, characterized by its variety of shapes, worn by men, women, and children as well, there is the Djellaba, the Qamis, the Gandoura, and also the Caftan that consists of one piece and the Takchita that consists of two pieces and let’s not forget the bride’s Caftan that consists of three or four pieces,”.
Caftans are decorated with embroideries along the hem of the fabric using machines, the sewing procedure takes around 15 days for a lengthy one.
The Moroccan Authorities have stated that they’re hoping soon UNESCO will register Caftan as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2025, the Historian has stated this will be one step closer to preserving the country’s traditions. E-semmar said, “The Moroccan caftan is distinguished by a unique feature that distinguishes it from the rest of the Arab and Islamic countries, especially in the Islamic West, and this feature is what made Morocco take this step in order to register the caftan on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List. Morocco has so far registered many heritages from Aita and Malhoun and other things that have now become specific to the Kingdom of Morocco, and this is what enriches the list of intangible heritage of the Kingdom of Morocco in UNESCO,” explains him when asked about how does he think about preservation of this cultural heritage.
Kathy
Stacy
