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]
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Natural: (vii), (viii), (ix), (x) |
3,830,200 (9,465,000) | 1996[nb 1] | [30][31] |