site.btaFour-Millennia-Old Albanian Dress Now Protected by UNESCO

An Albanian dress from the northern mountainous regions of the country, called jubleta, is now part of the world intangible cultural heritage under the protection of UNESCO, Albanian Culture Minister Elva Margariti was quoted by Euronews Albania as saying on Wednesday. It is a traditional dress of women from the mountains and is more than four thousand years old, the media outlet said.

"The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage has just unanimously approved the designation of the jubleta and the craft associated with its creation as part of the list of intangible cultural heritage under the protection of UNESCO," Margariti said after the meeting of the Committee in Morocco.

Albania's Culture Minister stressed that the traditional dress was at risk of extinction and that it should not remain a mere relic of the past.

The jubleta is the second Albanian element on the list of world intangible cultural heritage after iso-polyphony (Albanian folk polyphonic music influenced by Byzantine chants and mostly performed by men), reports Euronews Albania.

The jubleta is also common in some regions of Kosovo and Montenegro, but it is considered a typical dress of women from the mountainous parts of northern Albania. Two varieties of the costume have survived to the present day: pure black for women or married women and black and white for girls. The jubleta is heavy, as it is made entirely of woollen cloth in horizontal stripes, with plaits and embroidery on it. It consists of a wide bell-shaped skirt with thick straps, which is worn over the shoulder over a shirt, and sleeves and bodice. Its individual parts are not sewn together. The stitching with which the jubleta is decorated depicts ancient, mythological figures and according to some researchers is evidence of a link to a Cretan-Mycenaean civilization. Albanians believe it is a testimony of the connection with their ancestors, the Illyrians, it keeps the identity of the Albanian people and shows the beauty of the woman of the mountains.