“Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

The decision was adopted on 10 December 2025 in New Delhi during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Committee’s member states unanimously supported the nomination submitted by Georgia and concluded that it fully satisfies all criteria established under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.   

The nomination for “Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” was submitted to UNESCO for consideration in March 2024. Its preparation was carried out through broad public engagement and interagency coordination. A working group was established at the initiative of the Parliamentary Committee on Agrarian Issues, within which the nomination was developed to a high standard. The process involved the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Georgian Wheat Association, as well as various research institutions and specialists.

A Georgian delegation is participating in the work of the Intergovernmental Committee in New Delhi, led by Irakli Kurashvili, Georgia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO. The delegation includes members of the Parliament of Georgia, as well as representatives of the ministries that played a significant role in the preparation of the nomination.

On 10 December, during the Committee session, the head of the Georgian delegation addressed the audience, expressing gratitude to UNESCO’s Evaluation Body, the experts, and the Committee’s member states for supporting Georgia’s nomination and recognizing its universal significance.

On 11 December, an official ceremony will be held within the framework of the session. During the ceremony, the Georgian delegation will be presented with a certificate signed by the Director-General of UNESCO, confirming that “Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” is part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“Georgian Wheat Culture: Traditions and Rituals” represents the fifth Georgian element inscribed on UNESCO’s lists of intangible cultural heritage. In 2008, “Georgian Polyphony” was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; in 2013, “Ancient Georgian Traditional Qvevri Wine-making Method“ in 2016, “The Living Culture of the Three Writing Systems of the Georgian Alphabet”; and in 2018, “Georgian Wrestling,” which was recognized as an element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.