Morocco Submits Caftan Heritage File to UNESCO, Ending Appropriation Attempts

Morocco World

10-04-2025

Doha – Morocco has finally submitted its application to inscribe the art, tradition, and craftsmanship of the Moroccan caftan on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, aiming for recognition in 2025.
The submission, filed late March, follows a mandatory two-year waiting period after the inscription of Malhoun in 2023, as UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage accepts only one element per country every two years.
The comprehensive dossier, titled 'Art, tradition and savoir-faire of the Moroccan caftan,' includes an extensive inventory of regional styles, techniques, and terminology.
'The caftan is a traditional Moroccan garment that draws its roots from a long history of dress traditions that have continuously evolved from medieval times to the present day,' states the UNESCO application document.
The file describes it as 'a long tunic that comes in various styles and textile supports, open in the middle, dotted with buttons and buttonholes, worn with or without a mdamma belt.'
It specifically catalogs various regional styles and crafting techniques, including 'Qftan tarz Ntaa, Takchita, Lmansoria, Lkeswa Lakbira, Lqmis, Jabador, Gandora,' and numerous other variations.
The comprehensive dossier details the involvement of multiple craftspeople in caftan creation. 'The couturier acts as a mediator between different collaborators, maintaining direct client contact and coordinating with mâlams and maâlmates (male and female artisans),' the application states.
The file identifies specific roles, including 'the weaver (zeradkhi) who handles fabric composition, combining raw materials to produce brocade, velvet, and silk,' and 'the pattern maker (fessal), a profession practiced by both women and men, specializing in caftan cutting.'
Traditional craftsmanship extends to 'the âakad and sfifa makers – mâalams and apprentices who create buttons (âakad), buttonholes (âayoun), and braided trimming (sfifa),' while 'embroiderers (ttrazate) represent a feminine art form adorning the caftan, with each region maintaining its distinctive decorative language.'
In addition to the traditional forms, the submission also outlines the following: Regional variations: 'Chedda Chamalia, Chedda Tanjaouia, Chedda Tetuania, Chedda Oujdia'
Fabric types: 'l'Khrib, l'Bahja, Brocard Fessi, Haj Omar, Chamali, Denyajat'
Embroidery styles: 'Tarz l'Ghorza, Tarz l'Hsab, Tarz l'Majboud, Tarz l'Fetla, Tarz Zemmouri'
'The caftan concerns the entire Moroccan society across different localities. It is the essential costume for occasions marking the life of Moroccan Arabs, Amazighs, and Jews,' the UNESCO application emphasizes.
The document details its contemporary role: 'The Moroccan community wears the caftan during festivities and celebrations. It is the official attire for wedding ceremonies, baptism celebrations, coming-of-age rituals, first fast commemorations, tbourida equestrian events, and religious festivals.'
The dossier also highlights modern evolution: 'The Moroccan caftan has gained worldwide popularity and ensured its survival through the rise of a new generation of Moroccan designers who, while honoring the past heritage and paying tribute to traditional artisans, deploy their creativity to shape modern, wearable elegant attire.'
The file now awaits review at the 20th session of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in December.
Why is caftan Moroccan?
Historical records document the caftan's Moroccan origins to the 12th century Almohad dynasty, with physical evidence preserved in the Las Cantigas de Santa Maria manuscript at Madrid's El Escorial Museum.
This 13th-century illumination shows Almohad caliph Abu Hafs Umar al-Murtada in Marrakesh wearing an embroidered caftan with a sword collar while receiving Castilian emissaries.
During Muhammad an-Nâsir's reign, a fiscal census counted 3,490 weaving workshops and over 3,000 weavers in Fez alone. These royal weaving workshops (Tarz) expanded under the Merinid dynasty, when the garment became more widespread and luxurious.
Diplomatic records show Merinid Sultan Abu Al-Hassan sent gold-embroidered garments, taffeta clothing, and silk attire to Mamluk Sultan an-Nâsir Muhammad. Ottoman sultans specifically referred to these garments as 'Fas Kaftanlar,' acknowledging their Fez origin.
The late 15th century wrote a new chapter with the arrival of Andalusian refugees. Settling primarily in Tetouan, Fez, Chefchaouen, Rabat, and Salé, they integrated their embroidery techniques into Moroccan craftsmanship.
The Saadian era brought revolutionary changes to the caftan. Sultan Ahmad Al-Mansur introduced the 'mansouria,' a transparent overlay worn above the traditional caftan, which evolved into today's two-piece 'takchita.' Historical accounts from Mohammed Al-Saghir Al-Ifrani describe it as 'made of blue wool or silk embroidered with golden threads.'
Women began adopting the caftan under the Saadians, marking its transformation into feminine attire. Male versions were often made from English-imported 'brown blues' fabric, with dark blue becoming the national color for wealthy dress.
An 18th-century marriage contract from the High Atlas reveals that rural bridal trousseaus matched the sophistication of urban Fez weddings, demonstrating the caftan's reach beyond city centers.
In 1830, royal correspondence documents Sultan Abderrahmane bin Hisham ordering caftans be given to Algerian refugees in Tetouan, as thousands fled French occupation of Algeria.
By the 19th century, the caftan had become exclusively feminine attire. Museum collections, including those in the Oudayas Museum in Rabat, showcase caftans from this period featuring front openings with numerous clasps and rings, side slits, and waist-cinching belts made of gold or silver-threaded brocade.
Pattern of appropriation
Morocco's submission follows its decisive intervention at UNESCO in December 2024, when Morocco's UNESCO Ambassador Samir Addaher formally objected to Algeria's attempt to include an image of the 'caftan el-ntaa' — a Moroccan caftan of Fassi origin — in its file for traditional Algerian dress.
For the first time in UNESCO's history, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage accepted Morocco's objection and ordered the removal of the caftan image from Algeria's file after reviewing evidence of its Moroccan origins.
The Ministry of Culture, alongside Morocco's permanent delegation to UNESCO, presented extensive documentation proving the Moroccan origins of the caftan and the specific image Algeria attempted to use.
Moroccan cultural advocates have long called for stronger protection of national heritage, citing repeated Algerian attempts at cultural appropriation, including calls to interdict the sale of traditional garments to Algeria and prohibit the movement of Moroccan craftspeople across the border to prevent exploitation.
Repeated Algerian attempts to usurp various elements of Moroccan heritage — including the caftan, zellige tilework, traditional music forms, and even couscous — reflect a desperate and calculated campaign to falsify history and undermine Morocco's cultural identity.
To combat such appropriation attempts, Morocco has taken action through both UNESCO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva. The country has also launched the 'Label Maroc' national initiative to protect its intangible heritage.
Read also: Morocco Vows to Crack Down on Cultural Appropriation Tags: Cultural AppropriationMoroccan caftanUNESCO