All hail the Romanian ‘cobza,’ the string instrument that has been a part of dances, rituals, weddings and Romanian songs for centuries.
On Wednesday it got “the international recognition it deserves,” according to one Romanian official.
The pear-shaped string instrument with a short neck and wooden body, treasured for adding rhythm and harmony to folk music has been included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, officials announced.
The ‘cobza’ which combines traditional knowledge, skills and music was submitted by Romania together with neighboring Moldova and the decision was made at the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO), held in New Delhi from 8 to 13 December 2025.
UNESCO Ambassador Simona Miculescu, who led Romania’s delegation to the meeting, said that ‘more and more women are embracing this instrument’ and that ‘playing the cobza has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent decades.’
A cobza recital was also presented, as part of efforts to promote the file currently under evaluation by UNESCO, with support from the County Centre for the Conservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture in Iasi.
The cobza becomes the 11th Romanian element of intangible heritage recognized by UNESCO, ‘strengthening Romania’s steady path in protecting and promoting the living heritage – a heritage anchored in practices passed down from generation to generation, in cultural continuity and in responsibility towards the tradition that defines us,’ said the chair of the Joint Standing Committee of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on Relationship with UNESCO Dumitrita Gliga.
‘The listing recognizes not only the sound of the cobza but also the craft of making the instrument, the techniques for performing it and the role of the communities that have preserved this instrument as an identity symbol and as an expression of deep social significance,’ the release says.
Gliga said that protecting heritage and the people who serve it is “an act of cultural sustainability and a duty towards future generations.”
‘Today we celebrate a new success, the result of a solid work, promoted with perseverance and built together with the people who carry forward these traditional practices and give continuity to a living cultural expression.
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