Hyderabad, India has been designated a UNESCO Creative City for its gastronomy, which includes dishes like the Hyderabadi biryani. Image: IStock/Geckophotos via AFP Relaxnews
To mark World Cities Day on Oct. 31, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has admitted a total of 66 new members to its Creative Cities network for demonstrating a rich heritage in gastronomy, music, literature, cinema, folk art and design.
The newest additions bring the network to a total of 246 Creative Cities.
“All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in a statement.
“This favors political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations.”
The UNESCO-designated World Cities Day aims to showcase exceptional cities that are examples of “innovation and collective intelligence” for the future.
In the category of gastronomy, new members this year include Arequipa, Peru; Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Bergamo, Italy; Hyderabad, India; and Yangzhou, China.
Angoulême, France; Beirut, Lebanon; Nanjing, China; and Wonju, South Korea gained membership for their rich literary heritage.
Havana, Cuba; Metz, France; and Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago were admitted in the category of music.
Mumbai gained membership via the film category.
Cebu was named as a creative city for the design category.
Here are the new members of UNESCO’s Creative Cities network:
Afyonkarahisar (Turkey) – Gastronomy
Ambon (Indonesia) – Music
Angoulême (France) – Literature
Areguá (Paraguay) – Crafts and Folk Art
Arequipa (Peru) – Gastronomy
Asahikawa (Japan) – Design
Ayacucho (Peru) – Crafts and Folk Art
Baku (Azerbaijan) – Design
Ballarat (Australia) – Crafts and Folk Art
Bandar Abbas (Iran [Islamic Republic of]) – Crafts and Folk Art
Bangkok (Thailand) – Design
Beirut (Lebanon) – Literature
Belo Horizonte (Brazil) – Gastronomy
Bendigo (Australia) – Gastronomy
Bergamo (Italy) – Gastronomy
Biella (Italy) – Crafts and Folk Art
Caldas da Rainha (Portugal) – Crafts and Folk Art
Cebu City (Philippines) – Design
Essaouira (Morocco) – Music
Exeter (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) – Literature
Fortaleza (Brazil) – Design
Hanoi (Vietnam) – Design
Havana (Cuba) – Music
Hyderabad (India) – Gastronomy
Jinju (Republic of Korea) – Crafts and Folk Art
Kargopol (Russian Federation) – Crafts and Folk Art
Karlsruhe (Germany) – Media Arts
Kazan (Russian Federation) – Music
Kırşehir (Turkey) – Music
Kuhmo (Finland) – Literature
Lahore (Pakistan) – Literature
Leeuwarden (Netherlands) – Literature
Leiria (Portugal) – Music
Lliria (Spain) – Music
Mérida (Mexico) – Gastronomy
Metz (France) – Music
Muharraq (Bahrain) – Design
Mumbai (India) – Film
Nanjing (China) – Literature
Odessa (Ukraine) – Literature
Overstrand Hermanus (South Africa) – Gastronomy
Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) – Music
Portoviejo (Ecuador) – Gastronomy
Potsdam (Germany) – Film
Querétaro (Mexico) – Design
Ramallah (Palestine) – Music
San José (Costa Rica) – Design
Sanandaj (Iran [Islamic Republic of]) – Music
Santiago de Cali (Colombia) – Media Arts
Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) – Music
Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Film
Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) – Crafts and Folk Art
Slemani (Iraq) – Literature
Sukhothai (Thailand) – Crafts and Folk Art
Trinidad (Cuba) – Crafts and Folk Art
Valladolid (Spain) – Film
Valledupar (Colombia) – Music
Valparaíso (Chile) – Music
Veszprém (Hungary) – Music
Viborg (Denmark) – Media Arts
Viljandi (Estonia) – Crafts and Folk Art
Vranje (Serbia) – Music
Wellington (New Zealand) – Film
Wonju (Republic of Korea) – Literature
Wrocław (Poland) – Literature
Yangzhou (China) – Gastronomy
CL/JB
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