Iran registers Sangak bread as national intangible heritage, eyes UNESCO listing
Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts registered Sangak bread on the country’s national intangible cultural heritage list and will pursue its inscription on UNESCO’s global list, Alireza Izadi, director general of the ministry’s National and World Heritage Registration Department, said.
The registration follows an expert review by the National Council for Intangible Heritage and is intended to safeguard the traditional knowledge, skills and cultural practices surrounding one of Iran’s most enduring staple foods, IRNA reported.
“Sangak” is traditionally baked on a bed of heated pebbles, a distinctive method that has remained embedded in Iranian daily life across generations. Its cultural significance extends beyond the bread itself to dough preparation, baking techniques, specialist tools and the knowledge passed down among traditional bakers.
The oldest known written reference cited in the registration dossier appears in the Borhan-e Qate dictionary, compiled by Khalaf Tabrizi in 1062 AH, which defines Sangak as a type of bread baked on hot stones. Izadi also pointed to oral traditions and historical accounts that associate the bread’s origins with the Sasanian era or earlier periods.