+ Ala kiyiz and Shyrdak, art of Kyrgyz traditional felt carpets

UNESCO: List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding 2012 URL: Description: Traditional felt carpets represent one of the foremost arts of the Kyrgyz people. The knowledge, skills, diversity, ornamentation and ceremonies involved provide Kyrgyz people with a sense of identity and continuity. Their creation is a communal enterprise, led by older women in rural, mountainous areas, but the tradition is in danger of disappearing. The num