Kazakhstan’s Mangistau Underground Mosques Await UNESCO’s Verdict in 2026

UNESCO is set to make a final decision in July 2026 on the nomination of Kazakhstan's Mangistau Underground Mosques for inclusion on the World Heritage List.

"Following the president’s directive at the third session of the National Kurultai, Kazakhstan is progressing through a phased process to nominate both the Ustyurt Plateau and the Mangistau Underground Mosques," Yerlan Karin, State Counselor of Kazakhstan, said, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

From September 17 to 24, an expert mission from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) conducted an in-depth assessment of the site. The team, which included specialists from local and central government agencies, archaeologists, and restoration experts, focused on preservation challenges, boundary definitions, buffer zones, sustainable management, and tourism infrastructure development.

ICOMOS will compile a comprehensive technical report to support the nomination of the Mangistau Underground Mosques.

The final decision regarding the site's inscription will be made at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in July 2026.

Karin also noted that the UNESCO World Heritage Centre has started reviewing the nomination of the Ustyurt Plateau, which represents the first-ever joint nomination project among CIS countries.

On September 24 in Paris, Kazakh Minister of Culture and Information, Aida Balayeva, met with Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, to submit the nomination dossier titled “Ustyurt: Landscapes and Hunting Traps (Arans)” for preliminary evaluation by the World Heritage Centre. This marks a significant step toward the site’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.