United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization announced this week that Pakistan’s Bareendo, believed to be 5,000-year-old folk musical instrument, has been added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding due to its risk of disappearing.
Bareendo joins other intangible traditions already on UNESCO’s list, such as Suri Jagek, falconry, and Nowruz, the regional celebration of the spring new year.
Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, welcomed the move, calling it recognition of traditions preserved through centuries of community transmission.
The clay wind instrument is considered the oldest known living form of music in southern Sindh province. Its soft, breath-driven tones have been passed down through generations, accompanying Sufi devotional gatherings, winter festivals, and village celebrations, forming a central part of Sindh’s musical and spiritual identity.
The nomination was approved at the 20th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which documents vulnerable cultural practices worldwide, from oral folklore to craftsmanship, to ensure their preservation and continued transmission.
UNESCO announced the listing on Tuesday on X:
“New inscription on the Urgent Safeguarding List of Intangible Heritage: Bareendo, Bareendo: an ancient endangered folk musical instrument, its melodies, knowledge, and skills.”
