Kazakhstan Prepares for UNESCO World Heritage Evaluation Tour

A delegation from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will visit Kazakhstan this September to evaluate a series of cultural and historical landmarks nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The inspection will play a crucial role in UNESCO’s assessment process, with ICOMOS experts set to examine the preservation, cultural significance, and historical authenticity of the nominated sites, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Kazakhstan, which approved its first national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2013, has steadily expanded the register from 45 to 79 elements by 2024. Of these, 14 elements have been recognized on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, including the traditional performance of kui, the sport of Kazakh kuresi, the folk game assyk atu, and the orteke puppet dance.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has continued to champion its cultural heritage, successfully adding the Betashar wedding ritual and nominating Salburyn (traditional hunting) and the heroic epic "Alpamys Batyr" for international recognition.

Beyond intangible culture, the country has submitted ten cultural and historical monuments for potential inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Kazakhstan already boasts six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including:

Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi

Petroglyphs of Tamgaly

Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan

Western Tien-Shan

Cold Winter Deserts of Turan

Silk Roads: the Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor, which includes Kayalyk, Talgar, and Akyrtas

Two more nominations are under active consideration: the Underground Mosques of Mangystau and the Silk Roads: Fergana-Syrdarya Corridor. The latter nomination encompasses a network of ancient cities and settlements, such as Otyrar, Sauran, Kyshkala, Asanas, Syganak, Zhankala, Zhankent, and the Zhetyasar oasis.

Established in 1965, ICOMOS is UNESCO’s official advisory body on cultural heritage and plays a vital role in evaluating and recommending sites for World Heritage designation.