'Asyk' game included in UNESCO list of Humankind’s cultural heritage
During the session, an exhibition dedicated to the ICH of Kazakhstan was presented, and asyk game was played.
Asyk Game contributes to the development of cognitive and physical skills, promotes friendship and convergence of cultures regardless of ethnicity among the younger generation. Asyk as a symbol of childhood plays an important role in strengthening the social cohesion of the people of Kazakhstan, creating a sense of unity and identity. As international experts noted, children are a key link to preserving this object of intangible cultural heritage.
The work on the preparation of the nomination was carried out by the Secretariat of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO, experts of the National Committee for the Protection of the ICH, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to UNESCO in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Since ratifying the Convention on the Protection of the ICH (December 2011), Kazakhstan has introduced seven nominations to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: national applications "Kazakh traditional art of performing dombra kuy" (2014), "Kazak Kuresi" (2016 ), joint applications with Kyrgyzstan "Traditional knowledge and skills of manufacturing Kiyiz Yui/Yurt " (2014) and "Aitys/Aitysh, art of improvisation" (2015), as well as multinational applications "Nauryz" (12 countries), "Falconry" (18 countries), "Thin Turkic bread" (5 countries). The last three were included in 2016.
The inclusion of Kazakhstan's applications into UNESCO international registry serves to popularize the country's ICH at the global level and to develop systemic measures for its protection at the national level.
In the coming years, Kazakhstan plans to include to the Representative List of UNESCO's ICH applications "Traditional Spring Rituals of Kazakh Horse Breeders" and a multi-national application "Korkyt-Ata's Heritage" (jointly with Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkey).