ASTANA – A delegation from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will visit Kazakhstan in September to inspect cultural and historical sites nominated for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Shakpak-ata underground mosque. Photo credit: advantour.com
In 2013, Kazakhstan approved its first national list of intangible cultural heritage, which included 45 elements. By 2024, the list grew to 79 items, the Ministry of Culture and Information told Kazinform on July 13.
Fourteen are inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, including the performance of kui, kazakh kuresi (wrestling), the game assyk atu, and the orteke puppet dance. Recent successes include the recognition of the Betashar wedding ritual and the submission of nominations for Salburyn (traditional hunting) and “The Alpamys Batyr” epic.
Kazakhstan has also submitted ten historical and cultural monuments for possible inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 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.
Two additional nominations are currently under consideration by UNESCO: the Underground Mosques of Mangystau and the Silk Roads: Fergana–Syrdarya Corridor. The Astana Times runs a series of articles dedicated to the latter project, including Otyrar, Sauran, Kyshkala, Asanas, Syganak, Zhankala, Zhankent, and the Zhetyasar oasis settlements.
The ICOMOS mission will assess the state of preservation and cultural value of the nominated properties as part of the formal evaluation process.
ICOMOS, established in 1965, is the official advisory body to UNESCO on cultural heritage. It provides expert assessments for sites proposed for World Heritage status.
