London, March 15(ANI): A lawyer is calling upon Madrid””s conservative government to add the siesta to list of protected Spanish cultural icons.

The appeal follows the announcement made earlier this month by Esperanza Aguirre, the President of Madrid””s regional government, that the bullfight would be included in the catalogue of items of “special cultural value” that were protected by law.

The decision had come under fire from animal rights activists.

Now Daniel Dorado, a lawyer and animal rights campaigner, has filed an application for the afternoon nap to be declared a protected art form.

“The siesta is a cultural fact of special relevance and significance, an art which deserves protection,” the Telegraph quoted Dorado, as saying in the request application presented last week.

He added: “It has been part of Mediterranean and Spanish culture for time immemorial.”

According to Dorado, the siesta – traditionally a post lunch snooze of up to an hour – was being fast disappearing due to the demands of modern working practices. He said its loss could lead to the downfall of the Spanish nation and that the Madrid government should even consider putting up beds on the streets. (ANI)