Kazakhstan | World Heritage Explorer

Kazakhstan has been a State Party to the World Heritage Convention since 1994. With 6 inscribed properties, the country maintains a well-established presence on the World Heritage List. Its inscriptions include cultural and natural properties, representing a diverse heritage portfolio. Some of these properties are shared with neighboring countries, demonstrating cooperation across borders in heritage conservation.

Kazakhstan as a State Party to the World Heritage Convention

State Party since: April 29, 1994

Status: Acceptance

Mandates to the World Heritage Committee: 2013-2017, 2023-2027

Total of Mandate Years: 8

Total of Mandates: 2

WHC Electoral Group: IV (Asia/Pacific)

World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan (6)

Cultural: 3 | Natural: 3 | Mixed: 0

Cold Winter Deserts of Turan · Natural (Transboundary)
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi · Cultural
Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tanbaly · Cultural
Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan · Natural
Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor · Cultural (Transboundary)
Western Tien-Shan · Natural (Transboundary)

Map of World Heritage Sites

This interactive map shows the location of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan.

Tentative World Heritage Sites (15)

Sacred Timber Architecture of Central Asia: Islamic and Christian Traditions at the Turn of the 19th-20th Centuries · submitted: December 26, 2025
Petroglyphs of Zhetysu (Kulzhabasy, Eshkiolmes, and Bayan-Zhurek) · submitted: October 28, 2025
Petroglyphs of the Karatau Range (Arpaozen and Sauyskandyk) · submitted: October 28, 2025
Monumental Monuments and Sanctuaries of the Early Steppe Tradition of Central Eurasia (Mausoleum of Kozy-Korpesh–Bayan Sulu, Ritual Structure Dombauyl, and related “Dyng” Towers) · submitted: October 28, 2025
Medeu – Complex of Mudflow Protection Engineering Structures · submitted: October 28, 2025
Architectural Resilience: The Anti-seismic Heritage of Almaty · submitted: October 28, 2025
Abylaikit Monastery · submitted: August 25, 2021
Cultural Landscape of Ulytau · submitted: August 25, 2021
Rocky Mosques of Mangystau Peninsula · submitted: August 25, 2021
Silk Roads: Early Period (Prehistory) · submitted: August 25, 2021
Silk Roads: Fergana-Syrdarya Corridor · submitted: August 25, 2021
Silk Roads: Volga-Caspian Corridor · submitted: August 25, 2021
Ustyurt: Landscapes and Aran Hunting Traps · submitted: August 25, 2021
Northern Tyan-Shan (Ile-Alatau State National Park) · submitted: February 6, 2002
Turkic sanctuary of Merke · submitted: September 24, 1998

Source: UNESCO Tentative Lists

Country Profile Kazakhstan

Official Name: Republic of Kazakhstan

Continent: Asia

Subregion: Central Asia

UNESCO Region: Asia and the Pacific

Capital: Astana

Population (2024): 20,592,571

Land Area: 2,699,700 km²

Currency: Kazakhstani tenge (KZT)

Country Data Sources

Links

UNESCO World Heritage Convention: State Party Kazakhstan

About States Parties

States Parties are countries that have joined the World Heritage Convention. They commit to identifying, nominating, and protecting properties of outstanding cultural or natural value on their territory. States Parties are also expected to monitor and report on the condition of inscribed sites.

World Heritage Insights

How Politics and Institutions Shape the UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage List is usually seen as a catalogue of the world’s most important cultural and natural places. Yet behind every inscription there is a structured decision process: countries must first join the Convention, run for a seat on the World Heritage Committee, prepare nominations through a fixed procedure, and finally obtain enough votes for inscription.

World Heritage Info

Background

Learn about UNESCO, the World Heritage Convention, Tentative Lists, and how World Heritage Sites are selected and preserved. Explore the history, structures, and processes that protect humanity’s cultural and natural treasures.

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