Azerbaijan registered the 'zurkhaneh culture', which has Iranian origins, as its own intangible cultural heritage, but the reality is different

As part of its policy of appropriating the cultural and historical heritage of neighboring countries, Azerbaijan also has claims on the Iranian zurkhaneh sport. "Zurkhaneh" means "house of strength" (in Persian: "zur" - strength, "khaneh" - house). It is also known as "pahlevani" or "varzeš-e bāstānī" meaning "ancient sport". This sport originated and developed in the territory of historical Iran.

This group sport is a combination of martial arts, gymnastics, and calisthenics, and contains elements of pre-Islamic, Islamic beliefs, and Sufism. It is accompanied by music, drum beats, and poetry. The zurkhaneh is led by a morshid. In Iran, this sport continues to be practiced to this day, with over 900 zurkhaneh operating in the country.

Despite this fact, in 2022, Azerbaijan registered the "culture of zurkhaneh" as its own intangible heritage with UNESCO. It caused discontent in Iran. The Zurkhaneh Federation deemed this unacceptable, emphasizing that Iran had already registered the "rituals of zurkhaneh" under its own name in 2010.

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