ASTANA – The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has begun reviewing Kazakhstan’s nomination of the Rock Mosques of Mangystau and Associated Sacred Sites for inscription on the World Heritage List during its 48th session in Busan, South Korea.
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The 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee opened on July 19 in Busan and will run through July 29, bringing together around 3,000 delegates from the 196 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention, along with representatives of international organizations and heritage experts, reported the Kazakh Foreign Ministry’s press service on July 20.
The committee will consider 30 new nominations for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List and review 147 State of Conservation reports on properties already inscribed.
Kazakhstan is participating in the session as a member of the World Heritage Committee. Among the nominations under consideration is The Rock Mosques of Mangystau and Associated Sacred Sites.
According to State Counselor Erlan Karin, the nomination follows President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instruction at the 2024 National Kurultai in Atyrau to begin the process of seeking UNESCO World Heritage status for Mangystau’s unique underground mosques.
Karin said extensive work has since been completed to prepare the nomination dossier, including scientific research and legal and institutional documentation. An evaluation mission visited Kazakhstan last year, and the country has recently received a technical assessment from the UNESCO World Heritage Center and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
A decision on the nomination is expected during the current committee session and is regarded as a significant milestone for Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage preservation efforts.
