Origin of the Caftan: Algeria Responds in the Language of Heritage

Avoiding direct polemics or loud declarations, Algeria has opted for heritage diplomacy and UNESCO procedure to respond—indirectly—to Moroccan claims over the origin of the caftan. At the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (New Delhi, 8–13 December), Algiers emphasized confirmations and updates to elements inscribed since 2012, reinforcing its reading: the caftan is an authentic element of Algerian cultural identity, recognized within UNESCO’s framework.

A Procedural Argument Elevated to Cultural Diplomacy

In a statement published on 11 December via official channels, the Ministry of Culture and the Arts hailed “a new victory” for Algerian cultural diplomacy. Without departing from institutional sobriety, its communication stressed two core points:

1. Inscription precedents: According to Algiers, the caftan appears in national files recorded since 2012, notably within the recognition of Tlemcen’s traditional heritage.
2. Clarification and extension: The New Delhi session validated adjustments—explicit translations of titles (“The wearing of Kaftan” / “Le port du Caftan”) and expansion of scope to reflect the diversity of the Greater Eastern Algeria ensemble (gandoura, melhfa, caftan, qat, lahaf)—anchoring the garment within a continuum of women’s craftsmanship, sewing techniques, and decorative accessories.

Presented as unanimously approved, these decisions are interpreted by Algiers as a clear message: the caftan has been inscribed and internationally recognized for over a decade, and its Algerian anchoring rests on diligence in documentation rather than on rhetoric.

The Caftan Between Identity, Transmission, and Cultural Diplomacy

Beyond contests of attribution, the Algerian narrative underscores the historical depth and inseparability of the caftan from its intangible heritage: a garment, yes—but also a constellation of rites, techniques, and savoir-faire transmitted across generations, particularly in the context of marriage traditions and women’s ceremonial dress. Updating titles in French and English is not a mere technical footnote; it is a means to stabilize nomenclature and prevent ambiguity—crucial when heritage elements circulate, overlap, and take root in neighboring cultural spaces.

In this light, heritage diplomacy is not just about obtaining inscriptions; it frames, documents, and protects. Hence the emphasis placed by Algiers on “preserving and safeguarding all elements of its cultural identity against distortion or appropriation,” a formulation that repositions the debate in the register of protection rather than confrontation.

An “Indirect” Reply to the Moroccan Narrative

It is on this quiet but decisive stage that Algeria’s reply to claims voiced in Morocco during the UNESCO proceedings comes into focus. Where some Moroccan commentary presented the episode as a “victory” for its narrative, Algeria counters with a ledger of evidence: precedents, clarified titles, expanded scopes, and procedural unanimity. According to Algerian officials, their delegate highlighted several irregularities in the Moroccan file—recasting the discussion within the logic of international cultural law and UNESCO standards.

With no linguistic aggression, the strategy is clear: depoliticize through procedure, defuse through documentation, and reaffirm through continuity. In other words, oppose media immediacy with the patient work of heritage traceability.

What the Episode Reveals: A Competition of Soft Legitimacies

The caftan episode points to a broader Maghrebi trend: the rise of heritage diplomacy, in which states strive to name, describe, and secure recognition for elements that often circulate historically across urban, rural, and border spaces. In such contexts, the precision of labels, the strength of dossiers, and the coherence of scopes become soft yet decisive instruments. Algeria is engaging this terrain by reaffirming the caftan’s place in its inventories and widening descriptive frames to cover the traditional dress ensemble of Greater Eastern Algeria.

Methodologically, it is useful to recall that UNESCO inscriptions do not necessarily establish exclusive national ownership; listings can coexist, complement one another, and sometimes be advanced multilaterally. Precisely because intangible heritage is living and shared, competing narratives emerge—and the task is to organize them without absolutizing claims.

Conclusion

By choosing the language of heritage law over polemics, Algeria offers a measured yet firm response: the caftan, in its Algerian dimension, is inscribed, clarified, and consolidated within UNESCO procedures since 2012, with updates validated in New Delhi. Far from a symbolic gesture, this approach situates the issue within the long arc of cultural governance, where authority derives as much from precedent and documentation as from identity expression. In the competition of legitimacies, the craft of dossiers, the exactitude of terms, and the continuity of inventories become the substance of meaning. 

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By Belgacem Merbah

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