ASTANA — Kazakhstan will prepare a national plan by September to develop its United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites into tourist destinations.
By September, Kazakhstan will draft a national plan to turn its six UNESCO World Heritage Sites into tourist destinations. Collage is created by The Astana Times.
Kazakhstan has six sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. They include the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Petroglyphs of Tamgaly, Saryarka-Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan, the Western Tien-Shan, the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan and the Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor section of the Silk Roads. The latter includes ancient settlements such as Kayalyk, Talgar, and Akyrtas.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Information, Kazakhstan expects 11 new monuments to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2026.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized the symbolic and economic potential of heritage sites, highlighting their role in representing Kazakhstan’s historical identity and global appeal.
“These are our national treasures. We must turn all of them into centers that attract tourists. Such monuments should be introduced to the world. They need to be featured in films and programs, included in books and school textbooks. They should also be widely promoted at exhibitions and forums,” he said.
The ministry was tasked with developing a draft comprehensive plan for the protection and promotion of cultural heritage by Sept. 1.
A national inventory of historical and cultural sites is to be completed and submitted to UNESCO by Aug. 1. Local governments will ensure the inclusion of heritage protection zones in the state land registry by Sept. 15.
Additional measures include the creation of educational content, the development of tourism routes, and ongoing public awareness efforts.
Key highlights
Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva noted that the country recognizes over 25,000 heritage sites, including 265 of national significance and more than 12,000 locally recognized sites. The ministry has increased its National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements from 45 to 79. Fourteen are inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, including the performance of kui, kazakh kuresi (wrestling), the game assyk atu, the betashar wedding ritual, the orteke puppet dance.
Balayeva also emphasized the importance of preserving documentary heritage. Kazakhstan now has four entries in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
New UNESCO nominations and submissions
Kazakhstan is advancing its candidacy for several heritage listings, including the transnational Silk Roads: Caspian-Volga Corridor, in collaboration with Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkmenistan.
Additionally, the 18th-century “Khandar Shezhiresi”, which is a genealogy of the khans (rulers in Kazakh), has been recently added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.
“Written sources on the Golden Horde, the Kazakh Khanate, chronicles of the Great Silk Road, and the formation of independent Kazakhstan are part of global historical memory. Our task is not only to preserve but also to promote them as evidence of Kazakhstan’s contribution to world civilization,” said Bektenov.
In January, Kazakhstan submitted two new nominations, including Rocky Mosques of Mangystau Peninsula and the transnational Silk Roads: Fergana-Syr Darya Corridor.
Status of heritage protection
Balayeva outlined existing challenges in the heritage sector. These include the incomplete implementation of UNESCO conventions, the absence of buffer zones at sites such as Talgar and Akyrtas, unregulated construction near heritage zones such as the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum, and waste management issues.
She also mentioned the limited number of trained specialists, low engagement from local communities, and lack of financial and institutional support for traditional bearers.
To address these issues, Balayeva proposed a series of targeted measures. These include establishing protective and buffer zones, enhancing cooperation between regional and national authorities, and expanding community-based initiatives.
She called for the introduction of university-level programs in cultural heritage management and greater support for youth-focused cultural activities, as well as improvements to tourism infrastructure at heritage sites.
A unified digital database of heritage sites and the development of site-specific management plans for all UNESCO-inscribed properties are also among the priorities.
In the field of intangible heritage, the roadmap includes local training initiatives, interdisciplinary academic programs, and inventories of endangered cultural practices, supported by a 2024 UNESCO grant. Recent successes include the recognition of the Betashar wedding ritual and the submission of nominations for Salburyn (traditional hunting) and “The Alpamys Batyr” epic.
International coordination and compliance
Zhanar Shaimenova, a secretary-general of Kazakhstan’s national commission for UNESCO and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), emphasized the importance of fulfilling Kazakhstan’s international obligations under UNESCO frameworks.
Kazakhstan is a party to 16 UNESCO conventions. Shaimenova underscored the significance of two in particular – the 1972 Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
“We consider the fulfillment of the obligations imposed under these agreements to be of utmost importance. Failure to do so may lead to a number of negative consequences, including the loss of cultural and scientific value of heritage sites, economic losses – since cultural sites are major tourist centers – and formal warnings, sanctions or even removal of sites from UNESCO lists,” she said.
She emphasized the significance of broader involvement from scientific institutions, universities, civil society, and the private sector.
Research and oral heritage efforts
Kenzhekhan Matyzhanov, director of the Institute of Literature and Art named after Mukhtar Auezov, emphasized the importance of oral traditions as the core of Kazakhstan’s spiritual heritage. The institute contributed to the 2025 nomination of “The Alpamys Batyr” epic and organized an international conference focusing on its cultural significance.
“Kazakh folk literature is both the essence and the spiritual core of our national cultural heritage. Today, it is fair to say that only the Kazakh people have preserved such a vast oral tradition, fully created by their ancestors. Safeguarding this immense legacy, inscribing it on the UNESCO list, and turning it into a treasure for all humanity is our shared noble goal,” said Matyzhanov.
He proposed holding regular academic conferences, introducing folklore in school curricula, organizing youth competitions, reviving regional performance schools, and supporting folk arts programs.
Matyzhanov highlighted that nomination plans include Kazakh family traditions in 2026, “Kobylandy Batyr” epic in 2027, and “Kozy Korpesh-Bayan Sulu” in 2028.
Cultural identity and the role of communities
Rustam Muzafarov, deputy chair of the National Committee on Intangible Heritage, observed a significant reorientation in the tourism industry toward local traditions.
“An important phenomenon is the shift of the tourism sector toward national cuisine, local festivals and traditional games. These traditional forms fit organically into 21st-century worldviews,” Muzafarov said. “But this absolutely does not mean we can continue believing that our cultural identity will take care of itself.
He said that several heritage-based crafts, including carpet weaving, jewelry-making, and traditional hunting, are under pressure due to a lack of materials, low apprenticeship numbers, and limited interest among young people.
Muzafarov echoed the minister’s concern about the shortage of specialists. “We lack trained specialists in heritage preservation, and graduates of creative universities cannot replace them. These are different fields,” he said.
“The proposed comprehensive plan gives us a chance to lay the foundation for large-scale, multipurpose work—drawing on the experience of other countries and UNESCO’s analysis,” said Muzafarov.
A digital and strategic future
Dmitriy Voyakin, archaeologist and member of the National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, highlighted the need for a centralized digital registry of heritage sites.
He referred to the Central Asian Archaeological Landscapes (CAAL) program, which has mapped over 60,000 sites across the region using geographic information systems (GIS), 3D modeling, and artificial intelligence (AI).
“This database must be open, up-to-date, and scientifically grounded. It should include sites on the World Heritage List and provide centralized access to information on site conditions, boundaries, buffer zones, documentation, and management plans,” said Voyakin. “It will also ensure transparency in national-level monitoring and reporting to the UNESCO World Heritage Center.”
According to Voyakin, a continually updated digital system could become a cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s national heritage strategy and serve as a model for building a shared digital heritage space across Central Asia, led by Kazakhstan.
“We have the expertise, human resources, international support and tools,” he said. “But without an officially approved document – the comprehensive plan – it is impossible to ensure continuity, sustainability, and coordination among all stakeholders.”
