Azzedine Mihoubi: ” UNESCO Should Classify The Rai Music In World Heritage List”

Algeria officially submitted a file for the classification of the Rai Music in the list of global human heritage, through describing it an “Algerian popular music”, Culture Minister, Azzedine Mihoubi, said, on Monday, during a press conference that was held at the Cultures Palace in Algiers, to talk about “Protecting Material and Immaterial Heritage”.

“Culture Ministry is following with interest what was raised recently about attempts by many parties to steal the Algerian heritage, as vigilance plays an important role in that direction.”

Algeria’s efforts for the classification of the Rai comes within other files that were brought by Algeria at the end of March to classify a number of features that fall under the intangible heritage such as Sarawi culture, and the distillation of roses in Constantine and couscous that was presented in a Maghreb framework, Beni Yenni and Achwik Kabilyan jewellery, as these files are added to six other files that were classified such as, Ouled Sidi Sheikh, and Amzad traditions, and the clothing of Telemcen women, Ahlil and Djanet.

Press conference that was held by the minister and the Director of heritage protection, director of research center in history and prehistory, mentioned the importance that is attached by the State for valuing heritage, archaeological and legal frameworks that are available to it, as the minister spoke about reviewing the 1998 Act, and the establishment of the National Observatory of Museums, which is created to reorganise the museum in Algeria.

In the context of the new strategy of the Ministry in this regard, the minister revealed that the file of Algiers Casbah and its rehabilitation was waived for Algiers province, provided that the Ministry will play the role of the observer and coordinator.