Crete | “Regional Intangible Cultural Heritage Index” is being created

“Regional Intangible Cultural Heritage Index” is being created by the Region of Crete, which will function as a point of reference and promotion of the numerous intangible elements that make up the Cretan cultural identity.

The Index, which is being created within the framework of the UNESCO International Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, is being created to host and unite in an organized and systematic manner the proposals of cultural associations, cultural organizations, local governments, local communities, and even individuals. At the same time, it will gather proposals for the registration of the intangible elements of the living cultural heritage of Crete.

With the operation of the Index of Crete, the Region will achieve the recording, preservation, and promotion of the living traditions of the island. To achieve this goal, the mobilization and contribution of local communities and institutions are required in order to register in the Crete Index all those elements that make it stand out. A basic condition is that they constitute even today a living practice or an aspect of the identity of a group of people, no matter how small it may be.

Thus, oral traditions and expressions such as myths, fairy tales, stories, etc. folk theater, music, dance, social practices, rituals, festive events, festivals and celebrations, but also knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, ways of managing natural resources, traditional arts, practices and professions related to traditional crafts, but also many others such as traditional games, etc. They constitute elements that belong and can be included in the Crete Intangible Cultural Heritage Index.

The registration of an element of another political heritage in the Index of Crete constitutes an active act against oblivion. In the face of the modern risks that threaten alteration or extinction, the elements that constitute the living tradition of the place. At the same time, it also highlights the need to take measures for their protection.

The Region of Crete, with the aim of informing and raising awareness of Cretan society and the institutions of Crete, is organizing, together with the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and the "Pilot", relevant events, on May 31 and June 1, 2025, focusing on the presentation of the Regional Index of Intangible Cultural Heritage, at the Atlantis Hotel in Heraklion and in Thrapsano in the Municipality of Minoa Pediados.

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