List of World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries which are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.[2] Kazakhstan accepted the convention on 29 April 1994.[3]
There are six World Heritage Sites listed in Kazakhstan, with a further 13 on the tentative list.[3] The first site inscribed to the list was the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, at the 27th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris in 2003.[4] TThree sites are transnational: Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor is shared with China and Kyrgyzstan, Western Tien-Shan with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Three sites are cultural while Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan, Tien-Shan, and the deserts of Turan are natural.[3]