Kazakhstan's city of Turkistan has been designated the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2027 by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced on social media.

"By decision of ICESCO, the sacred city of Turkistan will become the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World next year," Tokayev wrote on X, The Caspian Post reports.

As part of the initiative, Kazakhstan plans to organize large-scale international events aimed at preserving spiritual unity and promoting the continuity of Turkic civilization.

The planned events include an international literature and linguistics forum named after Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, as well as a gathering of museum professionals from across the Turkic and Islamic worlds.

ИСЕСКО ұйымының шешімімен киелі Түркістан шаһары келесі жылы Ислам әлемінің мәдени астанасы атанады. По решению ИСЕСКО, в следующем году священный Туркестан станет культурной столицей исламского мира. By decision of @ICESCO_En, the sacred city of Turkistan will become the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World next year. #OTSAnkaraSummit2026

— Qasym-Jomart Toqayev (@TokayevKZ) October 30, 2026