ASTANA – The government announced plans to initiate the research program on identifying factors that impact the historical monument of the tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, located in Turkistan during a March 28 meeting, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Photo credit: Sergey Nepsha. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
The Ministry of Culture and Sport will coordinate and carry out the program until the end of the year with the assistance of restorers, ecologists, and geologists.
In 2021, the ministry’s Kazrestoration organization, which deals with restoring cultural and historical sites, inspected the tomb’s technical state and classified it as satisfactory. On the other hand, seasonal fluctuations in temperature and humidity harmed the ancient structure, with groundwater redirected through drainage wells posing an additional threat.
“The tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a unique architectural monument, and keeping it in its original form for future generations is a difficult but realistic objective. It is necessary to use scientific knowledge, world restoration experience, and modern technical achievements,” said Deputy Prime Minister Altay Kulginov.
Kulginov highlighted the importance of maintaining adequate moisture levels when implementing urban land restoration projects near the monument to prevent damage.
Last year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed to assign Turkistan the status of the cradle of Turkic culture. Turkistan’s important status implies compliance with specified urban planning rules to preserve the scale of the city’s historical part while preventing pollution and spontaneous urbanization. The city also has the most prominent historical and cultural monuments, including United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites.
The officials also discussed whether the amendments to the law are required to develop the tourism industry, increase revenue to the city’s budget, form a unified architectural appearance, and work on recording, preserving, and studying objects of historical and cultural heritage.
