An item of traditional Albanian clothing, the xhubleta has been declared as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage and thus protected by UNESCO, according to Culture Minister Elva Margariti.
The xhubleta is and is traditionally worn by women in the country’s highlands, with a history dating back 4000 years. It is bell-shaped with accentuation at the back and hangs from the shoulders with two straps. Typically, the skirt features 13-17 strips and is made from wool. Traditionally, unmarried women wore a white one while married women wore black.
“The intergovernmental committee for the protection and preservation of the intangible cultural heritage has just unanimously approved the declaration of Jubleta and its teaching as part of the list of intangible cultural heritage under the protection of UNESCO”, said Margariti from the intergovernmental committee for the protection and preservation of intangible cultural heritage held in Morocco.
“A treasure that in the rush of time was in danger of being lost day by day, but we must not allow Jubleta to remain simply a relic of the past, and by being included in this list, it will have the support of not only our institutions, but now also international ones”, says the minister.
She explained that the application was first made in 2019 after realising that the tradition was dying out. Mass emigration and internal migration have depopulated the highland areas where the item is traditionally worn.
The xhubleta is the second item of Albanian origin to be included on the list after isopolophony, a type of Albanian folk music from the southern part of the country and some parts of the north. Music of this type has no musical instruments and instead includes two, three, or four-part vocals that harmonise and intertwine. Two-part songs are usually sung by women, while four-part is the most complex.
Margariti also announced that another four applications are being prepared for UNESCO, including the traditional dance of the Tropoje region, the transhumance cattle migration tradition, the Epic of Kreshniks, and the work of photographer Marubi.
“We are also preparing the Epic of Kreshniks, the dance of Tropoja, transhumance, the tradition of cattle migration, and Marubi. These are big jobs that cannot be done alone. It needs a lot of experts and a lot of collaborators; it definitely needs a lot of funding,” she said.
(Alice Taylor | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
