The Tent of ‘Sidi Nail’s’ Sons: A Space for Preserving Cultural Heritage and Practicing Customs and Traditions

Khawla Nujaimi, Algeria

This paper aims to study the cultural heritage of handicrafts that contribute to our identity and that reflect that which our ancestors retained and passed down through the generations.

An awareness of our heritage helps us to become more aware of our existence and to identify the features of our identity. This awareness also helps in understanding the importance of other cultures and peoples. Handicrafts and traditional industries tell us a lot about our social heritage and they connect our present to our past; they may be the best representatives of cultural heritage.

One distinctive constituent of traditional life and important feature of our history is the tent. It represents living evidence of the Bedouin identity, and it is an essential component of Arab history.

From the tent and all that relates to it – including traditions, customs, beliefs, imagination, forms of expression and features of daily living – we can identify the Bedouins’ multifaceted cultural identity and behaviour.

The study focuses on highlighting the functions of the tent and its historical role in preserving cultural heritage as represented by the nomadic lifestyle. It addresses the cultural production associated with the tent through the most important related industries, and the relationship between cultural heritage and identity.