Historic bid: Mangystau Rock Mosques could become Kazakhstan's first UNESCO site in two decades
Kazakhstan’s nomination of the Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau could become the country’s first addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 22 years, according to Erlan Karin, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Qazinform News Agency reports.
A Kazakh delegation is taking part in the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which opened on July 19 in Busan and will run through July 29. The committee is expected to consider Kazakhstan’s nomination in the coming days.
The session brings together around 3,000 delegates from 196 states parties to the World Heritage Convention, along with representatives of international organizations and heritage experts. The opening ceremony was attended by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany.
This year, the committee will review 30 new nominations for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, including Kazakhstan’s submission, “the Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau.”
Karin said the nomination carries special significance for Kazakhstan, noting that “not a single site from our country presented as a national nomination has been included in the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List in the past 22 years.
The initiative to nominate the Mangystau sites was proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting of the National Qurultay in Atyrau, Karin said in an Instagram post.
Last month, experts from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) issued a favorable evaluation of five sites of the national nomination - the underground mosques of Beket Ata, Shopan Ata, Karaman Ata, Shakpak Ata, and Sultan Upi - and supported a draft resolution recommending their inscription.
However, Karin noted that discussions are continuing over whether all five sites will ultimately be included. He said questions remain regarding the Beket Ata underground mosque because it dates to a later historical period than the other sites under consideration.
Nevertheless, the situation will become clear in the coming days. We hope to receive good news from Busan, Karin wrote on Instagram.
Earlier, Karin spoke about the work on nominating the Mangystau Rocky Mosques for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
