Ministry of Cultural Affairs Announces Inscription of "Les arts du spectacle chez les ṭwāyef de Ghbonten" on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has announced that the cultural element "Les arts du spectacle chez les ṭwāyef de Ghbonten", whose candidacy was submitted by Tunisia in 2021, has been inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Tunisian candidacy file was inscribed on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asunción, Paraguay, from December 2 to 7, 2024. It is one of the 58 candidatures submitted for inscription in 2024 to the agenda of this annual meeting, which brings together representatives from states parties, non-governmental organizations, cultural institutions, and other actors from around the world to evaluate the candidatures submitted by states parties to the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
This new inscription encompasses oral traditions and expressions, social practices, festive events, and skills related to traditional craftsmanship.
"Les arts des ṭwāyef de Ghbonten", also known as ṭwāleb, chwāchīn, and jrāyed el-Arab, are rooted in southeastern Tunisia, particularly in the governorate of Médenine, where they are concentrated around the villages of El-Gosba, which hosts five troupes, and Mouggar, attached to the delegation of Béni Khedache.
These troupes are part of the tradition of traveling poets, bards of the tribes of southern Tunisia, and primarily animate weddings, both within their community and throughout the southeastern region, covering localities such as Médenine, Ben Guerdane, Béni Khedache, Koutine, Metameur, Sidi Maklouf, Ksar Jraa, and the island of Djerba.
This art form originated in the mid-19th century, in the context of the abolition of slavery in Tunisia in 1846, which favored the birth of a unique artistic expression, resulting from a cultural blend of African, Berber, and Arab influences. The performances combine spoken or sung words by artists dressed in white drapes and red chechia headscarves, danced movements, and rhythms of the chenna drum, which plays a structuring role in the spectacle, stimulating the dancers and the audience, men and women. These performances now open up to numerous large-scale events at the national and international levels and showcase their presence at major cultural manifestations.
