Mangistau region’s underground mosques set to be inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

Preparation of nomination documents to add the underground mosques of Mangistau region to the UNESCO World Heritage List is underway, the Kazakh culture and information ministry informed, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.

The Culture Committee commenced a preparation of nomination documents for underground mosques of Mangistau for 2024. In general, there are plans to prepare documents on monuments of Beket ata, Shopa nata, Shakpak ata, Karaman ata and Sultan epe under the nomination of the underground mosques of Mangistau, said the ministry in its response to the inquiry of the Agency’s correspondent.

According to the ministry, the preparation of nomination documents requires much work so as to meet the requirements of UNESCO.

In particular, it is necessary to develop projects of buffer zones for nominated zones, define the high universal values of the sites submitted to the UNESCO list in line with 10 nomination criteria established by UNESCO, devise management plans as well as carry out preliminary monitoring works.

Next, it is planned to present architectural examples of medieval mosques and mausoleums of Kazakhstan (the sequence of which is to be determined) as well as modern architectural works of art (for instance, Kazakhstan Hotel, Medeu ice rink) to the international space.