Douroub: Special edition of Sobol on Syrian intangible cultural heritage

Douroub aims at introducing some components of the cultural map and creating digital graphic backups to enhance cultural and intellectual diversity, as well as satisfying a portion of the knowledge need regarding the Syrian intangible heritage. The series aspire to contribute to the stability of Syrian communities wherever they are and create a platform for Syrians to share their stories and collective memory. The series will cover seven topics of Syrian cultural resources and intangible heritage, introducing over 200 elements of the Syrian intangible cultural map. It will include videos of more than 50 elements and focus on cultural areas including traditional music, popular and religious dancing, food and beverage in Syrian cuisine, social practices and rituals, celebrations, and traditional crafts and children games. The series starts with two episodes on the concept and categories of intangible heritage, exploring the richness of Syrian intangible heritage.

Episodes

Episode 1| The Definition and Categories of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Syria

This episode is an introduction to cultural heritage and to the UNESCO’s classification of this heritage. More specifically, this episode will focus on the main characteristics of intangible cultural heritage, using the five domains proposed by the UNESCO. Other areas of focus will include the dangers facing intangible cultural heritage, as well as the parameters and mechanisms of preservation that have been laid by out the UNESCO.

Episode 2| Syria’s Rich Intangible Cultural Heritage

This episode introduces Syria’s main cultural communities and surveys their diverse cultural heritage. It also spells out the dangers facing this heritage today, in light of the forced displacement experienced by many Syrians.

Episode 3| Traditional Music in Syria-Part One

This episode introduces the religious festivities and the musical traditions of the main religious communities in Syria: the Jewish musical tradition, the Christian musical tradition in its Syria, Byzantine, and Armenian branches, and the Islamic musical tradition, including the azan.

Episode 4| Traditional Music in Syria-Part Two

This episode introduces the musical traditions of Syria’s ethnic communities; namely the Arab, Kurdish, Yazidi, Circassian, and Armenian communities, as well as the main forms of popular shaabi music.

Episode 5|Traditional Dance

This episode introduces the traditions of secular and sacred dance in Syria. Some of the types of secular dance discussed in this episode are the dabke, Arab dance, Circassian dance, as well as two types of urban dance; namely “Raqs Sharqi”, and samah. The type of sacred dance that we will focus on is Sufi dance, and more specifically the fatla, practiced by the whirling dervishes.

Episode 6| Traditional Cuisine-Part One

This episode introduces the main features of Syrian cuisine by exploring the different types of plants and meats used in Syrian dishes, the traditional foods associated with social and religious events, as well as the food skills associated with certain ethnic communities.

Episode 7| Traditional Cuisine-Part Two

This episode introduces the four types of drinks and extracts consumed in Syria: medicinal drinks, plant extracts, refreshments, and alcoholic drinks.

Episode 8| Social Practices, Rituals, and Celebrations

This episode sheds light on social practices and rituals in Syria. Some of the secular traditions explored in the episode include: the Istisqa, the arada performance, the sword and shield performance, the dahha or dahiyyah dance, as well as a number of birth rituals. The episode also discusses a number of religious rituals and practices, like the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Sayyida Carnival (Feast of the Assumption), the Feast of the Cross, and the Sufi festival of Khamis al-Mashayikh (the shaykhs' Thursday).

Episode 9| Traditional Crafts

This episode introduces the main types of traditional craftmanship in Syria, like agri-food crafts and textile crafts. Some of the textile crafts discussed in this episode include: the aghbani, damask, and damasco crafts, as well as silk extraction, and recycling. Other crafts covered in this episode are straw ware crafts, soap-making, the making of musical instruments, woodwork (mosaic and ajami), and metal crafts (glasswork and copper engraving).

Episode 10|Children’s Games

This episode introduces a number of traditional games, with a focus on their history, their role in the sociocultural upbringing of children, and the general and specific threats that they face due to the current situation in Syria.