List of World Heritage Sites in Northern and Central Asia

Summary

The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated 19 World Heritage Sites in six countries (also called "state parties") of Central and North Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the Asian part of Russia.[1] The European part of Russia is included in Eastern Europe.[2]

Russia is home to the most inscribed sites with 8 sites, two of which are transborder properties shared with Mongolia in Eastern Asia.[3] The first site from the region was the Itchan Kala in Uzbekistan inscribed in 1990.[4] Each year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list, or delist sites that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x).[5] Some sites, designated "mixed sites," represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Northern and Central Asia, there are 11 cultural, 8 natural, and no mixed sites. All of the Russian sites (7) are natural and with the exception of Sayarka, all of the sites in Central Asia are cultural.[6]

The World Heritage Committee may also specify that a site is endangered, citing "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List." None of the sites in this region has ever been listed as endangered, but possible danger listing has been considered by UNESCO in a number of cases.[7]

Legend edit

The table is sortable by column by clicking on the   at the top of the appropriate column; alphanumerically for the site, area, and year columns; by state party for the location column; and by criteria type for the criteria column. Transborder sites sort at the bottom.
Site; named after the World Heritage Committee's official designation[3]
Location; at city, regional, or provincial level and geocoordinates
Criteria; as defined by the World Heritage Committee[5]
Area; in hectares and acres. If available, the size of the buffer zone has been noted as well. A value of zero implies that no data has been published by UNESCO
Year; during which the site was inscribed to the World Heritage List
Description; brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable

World Heritage Sites edit

  * Trans-border site
Site Image Location Criteria Area
ha (acre)
Year Refs
Central Sikhote-Alin   Primorsky Krai,   Russia
45°20′N 136°10′E / 45.333°N 136.167°E / 45.333; 136.167 (Central Sikhote-Alin)
Natural:
(x)
1,553,928 (3,839,840); buffer zone 65,250 (161,200) 2001 [8]
Golden Mountains of Altai   Altai Republic,   Russia
50°28′N 86°0′E / 50.467°N 86.000°E / 50.467; 86.000 (Golden Mountains of Altai)
Natural:
(x)
1,611,457 (3,982,000) 1998 [9]
Historic Centre of Bukhara   Bukhara Region,   Uzbekistan
39°46′29″N 64°25′43″E / 39.77472°N 64.42861°E / 39.77472; 64.42861 (Historic Centre of Bukhara)
Cultural:
(ii), (iv), (vi)
1993 [10]
Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz   Qashqadaryo Region,   Uzbekistan
39°3′0″N 66°50′0″E / 39.05000°N 66.83333°E / 39.05000; 66.83333 (Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz)
Cultural:
(iii), (iv)
240 (590); buffer zone 82 (200) 2000 [11]
Itchan Kala   Khiva, Xorazm Region,   Uzbekistan
41°22′42″N 60°21′50″E / 41.37833°N 60.36389°E / 41.37833; 60.36389 (Itchan Kala)
Cultural:
(iii), (iv), (v)
26 (64) 1990 [12]
Kunya-Urgench   Daşoguz Region,   Turkmenistan
42°10′59″N 59°5′6″E / 42.18306°N 59.08500°E / 42.18306; 59.08500 (Kunya-Urgench)
Cultural:
(ii), (iii)
2005 [13]
Lake Baikal   Irkutsk Oblast and Republic of Buryatia,   Russia
53°10′25″N 107°39′45″E / 53.17361°N 107.66250°E / 53.17361; 107.66250 (Lake Baikal)
Natural:
(vii), (viii), (ix), (x)
8,800,000 (22,000,000) 1996 [14]
Landscapes of Dauria   Zabaykalsky Krai,   Russia*
Dornod Province,   Mongolia*
49°55′N 115°25′E / 49.917°N 115.417°E / 49.917; 115.417 (Landscapes of Dauria)
Natural:
(ix), (x)
912,624 (2,255,140); buffer zone 307,317 (759,400) 2017 [15]
Lena Pillars Nature Park   Sakha Republic,   Russia
60°40′0″N 127°0′0″E / 60.66667°N 127.00000°E / 60.66667; 127.00000 (Lena Pillars Nature Park)
Natural:
(viii)
1,272,150 (3,143,600) 2012 [16]
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi   Turkistan, Turkistan Region,   Kazakhstan
43°17′35″N 68°16′28″E / 43.29306°N 68.27444°E / 43.29306; 68.27444 (Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi)
Cultural:
(i), (iii), (iv)
0.55 (1.4); buffer zone 88 (220) 2003 [17]
Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve   Chukotka Autonomous Okrug,   Russia
71°11′20″N 179°42′55″E / 71.18889°N 179.71528°E / 71.18889; 179.71528 (Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve)
Natural:
(ix), (x)
916,300 (2,264,000); buffer zone 3,745,300 (9,255,000) 2004 [18]
Parthian Fortresses of Nisa   Bagyr settlement, Ruhabat District, Ahal Region,   Turkmenistan
37°59′59″N 58°11′55″E / 37.99972°N 58.19861°E / 37.99972; 58.19861 (Parthian Fortresses of Nisa)
Cultural:
(ii), (iii)
78 (190); buffer zone 400 (990) 2007 [19]
Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly   Almaty Region,   Kazakhstan
43°48′12″N 75°32′6″E / 43.80333°N 75.53500°E / 43.80333; 75.53500 (Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly)
Cultural:
(iii)
900 (2,200); buffer zone 2,900 (7,200) 2004 [20]
Proto-urban site of Sarazm   Panjakent,   Tajikistan
39°30′28″N 67°27′37″E / 39.50778°N 67.46028°E / 39.50778; 67.46028 (Proto-urban site of Sarazm)
Cultural:
(ii), (iii)
16 (40); buffer zone 142 (350) 2010 [21]
Putorana Plateau   Krasnoyarsk Krai,   Russia
69°2′49″N 94°9′29″E / 69.04694°N 94.15806°E / 69.04694; 94.15806 (Putorana Plateau)
Natural:
(vii), (ix)
1,887,251 (4,663,500); buffer zone 1,773,300 (4,382,000) 2010 [22]
Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures   Samarqand Region,   Uzbekistan
39°40′7″N 67°0′0″E / 39.66861°N 67.00000°E / 39.66861; 67.00000 (Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures)
Cultural:
(i), (ii), (iv)
965 (2,380) 2001 [23]
Saryarka — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan   Akmola and Kostanay Regions,   Kazakhstan
50°26′N 69°11′E / 50.433°N 69.183°E / 50.433; 69.183 (Saryarka — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan)
Natural:
(ix), (x)
450,344 (1,112,820); buffer zone 211,148 (521,760) 2008 [24]
Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor   22 sites in   China*: Luoyang, Lingbao and Xin'an of Henan Province; Xi'an, Bin County and Chenggu of Shaanxi Province; Tianshui, Yongjing, Dunhuang and Anxi of Gansu Province; Turpan, Jimsar and Kuqa of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
8 sites in   Kazakhstan*: Almaty Region and Jambyl Region.
3 sites in   Kyrgyzstan*: Chüy Region
Cultural:
(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)
42,668.16 (105,435.3); buffer zone 189,963.13 (469,409.1) 2014 [25]
State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”   Mary Region,   Turkmenistan
37°42′3″N 62°10′39″E / 37.70083°N 62.17750°E / 37.70083; 62.17750 (State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”)
Cultural:
(ii), (iii)
353 (870); buffer zone 883 (2,180) 1999 [26]
Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain   Osh,   Kyrgyzstan
40°31′52″N 72°46′58″E / 40.53111°N 72.78278°E / 40.53111; 72.78278 (Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain)
Cultural:
(iii), (vi)
112 (280); buffer zone 4,788 (11,830) 2009 [27]
Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs)     Tajikistan
38°45′54″N 72°18′19″E / 38.76500°N 72.30528°E / 38.76500; 72.30528 (Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs))
Natural:
(vii), (viii)
2,611,674 (6,453,590) 2013 [28]
Uvs Nuur Basin   Uvs, Zavkhan and Khövsgöl Provinces   Mongolia*
Mongun-Tayginsky, Ovyursky, Tes-Khemsky and Erzinsky Districts, Tuva Republic,   Russia*
50°16′30″N 92°43′1″E / 50.27500°N 92.71694°E / 50.27500; 92.71694 (Uvs Nuur Basin))
Natural:
(ix), (x)
898,064 (2,219,160); buffer zone 170,790 (422,000) 2003 [29]
Volcanoes of Kamchatka   Kamchatka Krai,   Russia
56°20′N 158°30′E / 56.333°N 158.500°E / 56.333; 158.500 (Volcanoes of Kamchatka)
Natural:
(vii), (viii), (ix), (x)
3,830,200 (9,465,000) 1996[nb 1] [30][31]

Tentative List edit

Site Image Location Criteria Year Refs
Cultural

Landscape of Ulytau

  Ulytau Region,   Kazakhstan Cultural:
(v)
2021 [32]
Northern

Tyan Shan (Ili-Alatau National Park)

  Almaty Region,   Kazakhstan Natural: (x) 2002 [33]
State National Natural Park "Altyn Emel"   Almaty Region,   Kazakhstan Natural: (vii), (viii), (ix) 2002 [34]
Saimaly-Tash Petroglypghs   Jalal-Abad Region,   Kyrgyzstan Cultural: (iii), (iv), (vi) 2001 [35]
Khulbuk -Capital of Ancient Khuttal
 
Hulbuk, Vose' District, Khatlon Region,   Tajikistan Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv) 2021 [36]
Fann Mountains
 
Sughd Region,   Tajikistan Mixed: (vii), (x) 2006 [37]
Mausoleum of Amir Khamza Khashti Podshoh   Chorkuh, Isfara District, Sughd Region,   Tajikistan Cultural 1999 [38]
Mausoleum of Khoja Mashkhad   Khatlon Region,   Tajikistan Cultural 1999 [39]
Ancient Town of Takht-i-Sangin
 
Khatlon Region,   Tajikistan Cultural 1999 [40]
Bahoutdin Architectural Complex
 
Bukhara, Bukhara Region,   Uzbekistan Cultural: (iv) 2008 [41]
Historic Centre of

Qoqon

 
Kokand, Fergana Region,   Uzbekistan Cultural: (ii) 2008 [42]
Andijan   Andijan, Andijan Region,   Uzbekistan Cultural: (iii), (iv), (v) 2008 [43]
Ancient Termiz   Termez, Surxondaryo Region,   Uzbekistan Mixed: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (ix) 2008 [44]
Historic Centre of Irkutsk   Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast,   Russia Cultural 1998 [45]
Historic Centre of Yeniseysk   Yeniseysk, Krasnoyarsk Krai,   Russia Cultural: (ii), (iii), (iv) 2000 [46]
Valley of the Kingsof Tuva (Arzhan)
 
Tuva Republic,   Russia Cultural: (i), (iii), (iv) 2021 [47]
Kytalyk National Park   Sakha Republic,   Russia Natural: (ix), (x) 2021 [48]
Krasnoyarsk Stolby   Krasnoyarsk Krai,   Russia Natural: (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) 2007 [49]
Magadansky

Nature Reserve

  Magadan Oblast,   Russia Natural: (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) 2007 [50]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Extended in 2001 to include Kluchevskoy Nature Park.

References edit

Notes
  1. ^ "Number of World Heritage Properties by region". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  2. ^ "Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings". Geographical region and composition of each region. United Nations Statistics Division. 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  3. ^ a b "World Heritage List". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  4. ^ "Number of World Heritage properties inscribed each Year". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b "The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  6. ^ "World Heritage List Nominations". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  7. ^ "World Heritage in Danger". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  8. ^ "Central Sikhote-Alin". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  9. ^ "Golden Mountains of Altai". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  10. ^ "Historic Centre of Bukhara". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  11. ^ "Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Itchan Kala". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Kunya-Urgench". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  14. ^ "Lake Baikal". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  15. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Landscapes of Dauria". whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  16. ^ "Lena Pillars Nature Park". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  17. ^ "Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  18. ^ "Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  19. ^ "Parthian Fortresses of Nisa". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  20. ^ "Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  21. ^ "Proto-urban site of Sarazm". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  22. ^ "Putorana Plateau". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  23. ^ "Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  24. ^ "Saryarka — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  25. ^ "Silk Road". UNESCO. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  26. ^ "State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv"". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  27. ^ "Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  28. ^ "Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs)". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  29. ^ "Uvs Nuur Basin". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  30. ^ "Volcanoes of Kamchatka". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  31. ^ "Decision – 25COM X.B – Volcanoes of Kamchatka [Extension to include Kluchevskoy Nature Park] (Russian Federation)". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  32. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Cultural Landscape of Ulytau". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  33. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Northern Tyan-Shan (Ile-Alatau State National Park)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  34. ^ "State National Natural Park "Altyn-Emel" - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". 2020-06-22. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  35. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Saimaly-Tash Petroglyphs". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  36. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Khulbuk – the capital of ancient Khuttal". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  37. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Fann mountains". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  38. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Mausoleum of "Amir Khamza Khasti Podshoh"". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  39. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Mausoleum of "Khoja Mashkhad"". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  40. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "The Site of Ancient Town of Takhti-Sangin". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  41. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Bahoutdin Architectural Complex". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  42. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Center of Qoqon". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  43. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Andijon". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  44. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Ancient Termiz". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  45. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Centre historique d'Irkoutsk". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  46. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Historic Center of the Yenisseisk". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  47. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Valley of the Kings of Tuva". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  48. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "National Park Kytalyk". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  49. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Krasnoyarsk Stolby". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.
  50. ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Magadansky State Nature Reserve". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-07-22.