The importance of the project comes in light of the cultural and social diversity that characterizes the capital and what its regions hold in terms of customs, traditions, practices, perceptions, forms of expression, inherited knowledge, and skills, alongside the associated tools, artifacts, manufactured goods, and places of cultural value, reflecting the diversity of the social fabric of Jordanian society.
The project aims to inventory the elements of intangible cultural heritage in the capital with the participation of the local community, preserve heritage elements threatened with extinction, and identify elements vulnerable to dying out, in addition to raising awareness of the importance of this heritage, encouraging interest in it, and linking it to sustainable development processes.
The Ministry of Culture defines intangible cultural heritage as the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills—as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts, and cultural spaces associated therewith—that communities, groups, and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This heritage is transmitted from generation to generation and is constantly recreated by communities in response to their environment, their interaction with nature, and their history.
The inventory of heritage elements includes the domains of traditions and oral expressions, including language, performing arts and their traditions, social practices, rituals, celebrations, inherited beliefs and myths, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, in addition to skills associated with traditional arts and crafts.
The ministry invited local community members and heritage enthusiasts to participate in the project by filling out the approved inventory form for intangible cultural heritage elements issued by the Heritage Directorate, and sending it upon completion to the email address turathi.form@culture.gov.jo, no later than October 30, 2026. The inventory form can be obtained through the link attached in the official announcement of the Ministry of Culture.
