The “tbourida”, the Moroccan equestrian art, enters the intangible heritage of Unesco at a gallop

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Very popular in the countryside, this spectacular cavalry charge which ends with synchronized musket fire is associated with the kingdom’s festivities.

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Legacy of an old warrior tradition, the tbourida, Moroccan equestrian art, also known under the name of fantasia, was incorporated Wednesday December 15 into the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Unesco. “It is the recognition of an Arab-Amazigh (Berber) civilizational heritage unique in the world”, welcomed the permanent delegation of Morocco to Unesco in a tweet. Morocco had officially submitted in 2019 the application to inscribe on the list of Intangible Heritage of Humanity the tbourida, whose name in dialectal Arabic is derived from baroud, which means gunpowder.

The tbourida “is a traditional discipline which is passed down from generation to generation” and that “contains essential elements of the cultural identity and collective memory of Morocco, its regions and its communities”, explained the evaluation committee of the candidatures of Unesco. Very popular in the countryside, this spectacular cavalry charge, which ends with a synchronized musket fire, is associated with the kingdom’s festivities, including at large weddings. Thus, each year, thousands of enthusiastic spectators attend these grandiose shows during the horse show of El-Jadida (West), the most important equestrian festival in the country.

This equestrian tradition dates back to at least the beginning of the 16th century, according to various historical sources. For the parade, the riders and their horses gather in troops called sorbas. Cities and towns have their own sorbas and tournaments. “Each parade of tbourida is carried out by a troop made up of an odd number of riders and horses (from 15 to 25), aligned side by side and in the middle of which sits the leader of the troop “, Unesco explains on its site. In the heritage of tbourida to be safeguarded, figure the bearded horse or Arab-bearded, typical breed of North Africa, threatened with disappearance but whose stock was reconstituted from the 2010s, according to Unesco. Since 2018, only horses of this breed have been allowed to compete in official events.

Unesco’s list of intangible cultural heritage now has nearly 500 inscriptions.


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