Culture Wars: Iranians irate amid UNESCO filing delays after Saudi Arabia registers rose-related practices

Iranian authorities are reportedly facing internal criticism from cultural heritage experts amid delays in submitting its rosewater practices for United Nations protection, following a similar registration by regional rival Saudi Arabia that was recently successful.

The Damask Rose has become the center of a subtle "heritage war" across the Middle East. Three countries—Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran—all boast ancient traditions of cultivating the flower and distilling its prized rosewater and oil. The issue centers on countries seeking individual recognition from UNESCO for what is ultimately a shared cultural element.

UNESCO—the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization—inscribes Intangible Cultural Heritage, which recognizes the specific practices and skills surrounding a tradition, not the plant or product itself.

Syria first received UNESCO inscription for its Damask Rose practices in 2019 with an application that focused heavily on the cultivation of the rose and the specific methods of distillation carried out in the village of Al-Mrah, near Damascus. The rose is an intrinsic symbol of Damascus and its perfumes.

Saudi Arabia then received inscription for "cultural practices related to Taif roses," its name for the Damask Rose, in 2024. Saudi Arabia’s application focused specifically on the cultivation and distillation of the rose in the mountainous Hejaz region of Taif.

Significantly, Taif rose oil and water are the essential elements used in the annual washing and perfuming of the Holy Kaaba in Mecca. This linkage added a dimension of religious significance to the Saudi practice, distinguishing it from the Syrian focus on general craftsmanship.

Last month, UNESCO announced it would be reviewing 68 nominations for inscription at a meeting in New Delhi next week, as well as 11 practices in urgent need of safeguarding. While the practice of mirrorwork in Persian architecture is among the nominations, Iran’s rosewater practices are not.

Iranians are now up in arms that Iran’s rosewater practices will not be considered during this cycle, according to Iranian state media IRNA, which noted that Iran is historical origin point of the Damask Rose before it later spread across the Middle East and North Africa.

“We asked UNESCO for more time,” Alireza Izadi, Iran’s head official for the registration and protection of historical monuments, told IRNA.

He said the delay was caused by efforts to add related rituals and strengthen the application.

The war of the roses reflects the broader rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia, where even cultural heritage becomes entangled with questions of identity and regional influence. While UNESCO does not arbitrate ownership of traditions, nominations are often read domestically as markers of national prestige.

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