UNESCO - The Times Of Central Asia

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Tourism

Tajikistan’s Panjakent Aims to Build Its Tourism Industry

The area around Panjakent in western Tajikistan has ancient ruins, including a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as picturesque landscapes that have attracted more than 41,000 tourists so far this year. However, the area faces obstacles to development of its tourist industry, including rough roads that make it difficult for visitors to move around. Panjakent city is about 60 kilometers from Samarkand, an ancient city across the border in Uzbekistan whose spectacular cultural heritage makes it one of Central Asia’s major tourist draws. While the Panjakent region has a history extending back thousands of years, it has attracted relatively little international attention as Tajikistan takes steps to build up its tourism infrastructure. More than 41,000 tourists from many countries visited Panjakent in the first nine months of 2026, city officials said, according to Tajikistan’s state news agency Khovar. The city says the area has more than 300 historical monuments in addition to several major sites, including UNESCO-designated Sarazm, whose archaeology traces the development of human settlements in Central Asia from the fourth millennium BCE to the end of the third millennium BCE. Sarazm also provides evidence of trade and cultural ties among societies over a vast area “extending from the steppes of Central Asia and Turkmenistan, to the Iranian plateau, the Indus valley and as far as the Indian Ocean,” UNESCO has said. The U.N. cultural agency said the “proto-urban” site of Sarazm was a major regional center in the working of tin, copper, and other metals, and “is one of the places that gave birth to and saw the development of the major trans-Eurasian trade routes.” The tourism industry has been growing in Panjakent, which now has 24 travel companies, 11 “modern” hotels, 22 guest houses, and numerous restaurants and cafes, according to the city. It also said that a climbing base in the Kuli Kalon area outside Panjakent, which dates from the era of the Soviet Union, is still operating. The Khovar news agency reported that some problems are holding up further development of tourism in Panjakent, including a rough road on the 30-kilometer stretch between the villages of Ruknobod and Artuch. “Every year, tourists pass this road with difficulty,” Khovar reported. The agency also said that the tomb of Abu Abdullah Rudaki, regarded as a founder of Tajik-Persian classical poetry, needs significant repairs. Rudaki was born in Panjrud village near Panjakent and spent many years as a court poet in the Samanid capital of Bukhara. He is believed to have died around 941. While Rudaki is said to have been prolific as a poet, most of his work has been lost.

Art and Culture

Kazakhstan Joins Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia as Observer

Kazakhstan has been granted observer status in the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, an organization established at China's initiative. The Ministry of Culture and Information announced the decision on October 18 following a meeting in Hangzhou. Representatives from more than 20 countries attended. Kazakhstan hopes to pursue joint archaeological research and use new technologies to preserve historical monuments. The alliance was established in 2023 and is headquartered in Beijing. It has operated as an intergovernmental organization since 2024. It focuses on preserving Asia's historical heritage, supporting archaeological expeditions, restoration projects, and the exchange of scientific data. Kazakhstan has joined as an observer for now, with the possibility of full membership remaining open. At the meeting in Hangzhou, Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Culture and Information, Aibek Sydykov, proposed joint research into the Silk Road, training for restoration specialists, and the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to assess the condition of historical sites. Silk Road heritage sites are of particular interest to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is home to the remains of ancient settlements and archaeological complexes associated with this trade. Some are part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor, a transnational designation encompassing sites in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. The three countries already share obligations under UNESCO to preserve the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor. In 2025, the World Heritage Committee called for outstanding management plans for the heritage sites to be completed and requested a joint report on their state of conservation by December 1, 2026. In March 2026, Kazakhstan announced that the Zharkent Mosque and Almaty's Ascension Cathedral had been added to UNESCO's Tentative List, an inventory of sites being considered for possible nomination to the World Heritage List.

Archaeological Heritage

Paleolithic Sites and Pamir Petroglyphs Added to Tajikistan UNESCO Tentative List

Tajikistan has added two groups of archaeological sites to UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List: Paleolithic sites in southern Tajikistan documenting early human occupation, and petroglyph complexes in the high-altitude Pamirs. Tajik authorities announced the additions on September 21, although both entries were submitted to UNESCO on June 19, 2026. The first group comprises Kuldara, Lohuti, Obi Mazor, and Khonakho in the Khovaling district of southern Tajikistan’s Khatlon region. UNESCO describes the archaeological complex as one of the most significant Paleolithic heritage areas in Central Asia. The sites provide evidence of early human occupation and adaptation to mountainous and semi-arid environments and help researchers study the dispersal of early human populations across Eurasia. Kuldara is particularly significant. According to UNESCO, the site preserves cultural layers dating to the Lower and Middle Paleolithic periods and has yielded numerous stone tools. Together with the neighboring sites, the complex documents different stages of early human history and changes in stone-tool technology. The second group lies nearly at the opposite end of the country, in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), which covers much of eastern Tajikistan and the Pamirs. The nomination includes five petroglyph complexes: Langar, Darshair, Shakhta, Nayzatash, and Bakhmaljilga. The rock carvings were created over thousands of years, from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods through the Bronze and Iron Ages and into the medieval period. They depict ibex, argali sheep, deer and predators, as well as human figures, hunting scenes, symbolic compositions, and geometric motifs. The hunting scenes and other images give archaeologists a record of life in high-mountain communities. They also document cultural contacts in the Pamirs, a region that has long stood at a crossroads between Central, South, and East Asia and the Iranian cultural sphere. UNESCO's Tentative List is an inventory of properties a country intends to consider for future nomination. A property must first appear on that list before the country can formally nominate it for World Heritage status. With the two additions, Tajikistan now has 18 properties on its Tentative List. Five properties in the country are already inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. They include Sarazm, a settlement dating from the fourth to the third millennium BCE near Panjakent; the Cultural Heritage Sites of Ancient Khuttal in southern Tajikistan; and Tajik National Park, which encompasses a vast area of the Pamir Mountains. Archaeological finds in southern Tajikistan include a royal seal from the Kushan period. Around two millennia ago, the Kushan Empire extended across parts of present-day Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India.

opinion

Uzbekistan’s Heritage Did Not Stop With the Silk Road

When people think of Uzbekistan’s architectural heritage, the images are familiar: the turquoise domes of Samarkand, the madrasas of Bukhara, Khiva’s walled city, and the monuments of Shakhrisabz. But Uzbekistan’s history did not stop with the Silk Road. At its 48th session in July, UNESCO inscribed “Tashkent Modernist Architecture. Modernity and Tradition in Central Asia” on the World Heritage List. The new site brings together ten buildings and urban complexes constructed between the 1960s and the early 1990s, during the period in which Tashkent was dramatically rebuilt following the 1966 earthquake. The inscription deserves to be celebrated. More importantly, it expands the definition of what Uzbek heritage can be. [caption id="attachment_52926" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Kosmonavtlar Metro Station, Tashkent; photo: Mathieu Lemoine[/caption] These buildings do not belong to the world of caravanserais and Timurid courts. They represent another layer of the country’s history: the ambitious and highly creative transformation of Soviet-era Tashkent. For decades, Central Asian heritage has often been viewed through a chronological hierarchy. The older a monument, the easier it is to recognize as heritage. Timurid architecture is obviously precious. A concrete building from the 1970s can appear more expendable. Tashkent shows why that distinction is too simple. UNESCO notes that the architecture developed after the earthquake combined industrialized construction and seismic engineering with local climatic, cultural and material conditions. The result was not simply Soviet modernism transplanted to Central Asia, but a distinct architectural language adapted to Tashkent. This broader understanding of heritage comes at an important moment. Uzbekistan is modernizing rapidly. Its cities are growing, tourism is expanding, infrastructure is improving and redevelopment is transforming urban space. Much of this change is necessary and welcome. Historic neighborhoods cannot be expected to function as open-air museums. Residents need reliable drinking water, sewage systems, heating, electricity, internet access, waste collection, accessibility, safe streets and comfortable housing. A leaking pipe is not “authenticity.” The more difficult question is how modernization takes place. [caption id="attachment_52925" align="aligncenter" width="1774"] Tashkent Modernist State Museum of History; photo: Mathieu Lemoine[/caption] Uzbekistan has already experienced how delicate that balance can be. In Shakhrisabz, large-scale redevelopment substantially altered the historic urban fabric. The historic center was placed on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016 and remains there today. The experience offers an important lesson: preserving monuments is not necessarily the same as preserving a city. A city can retain its most famous madrasa, mosque or mausoleum while losing part of its heritage if the streets, neighborhoods, businesses and communities surrounding them disappear. The pressure is not only architectural. As tourism grows and historic centers become more desirable, economic incentives change. Houses can become hotels and restaurants. Businesses serving residents can give way to businesses serving visitors. Traditional workshops can struggle with higher costs. Redevelopment can create pressure on residents to relocate. Bukhara illustrates why this is important. Its identity rests not only on monumental architecture but on a living economy of craftsmanship. Gold embroidery, ceramics, jewelry, woodwork and other trades remain sources of employment as well as cultural identity....

Aral Sea

Kazakhstan’s Aral Geopark Under Review for UNESCO Global Status

Kazakhstan's Aral Geopark is undergoing an international assessment that could make it the country's first UNESCO Global Geopark, giving new visibility to a region long associated with the environmental collapse of the Aral Sea. Kyzylorda Region governor Murat Yergeshbayev met international experts José Brilha and Somayeh Saediyounesi, who are assessing whether the site meets UNESCO requirements, regional authorities said. The main evaluation mission will take place from July 6 to 13 and will examine the park's natural sites, infrastructure, management system, scientific potential, and efforts to preserve the region's heritage. Kazakhstan sent the official application for the Aral Geopark's inclusion in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network to the organization's headquarters in November 2025. Four tourist and educational routes have also been prepared as part of the application process. UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed through a concept that combines protection, education, and sustainable development. According to UNESCO, the network currently includes 241 geoparks in 51 countries. For Kazakhstan, recognition would give the Aral region greater international visibility. The geopark is intended to preserve the region's geological, natural, historical, and cultural heritage while supporting research, tourism, and local economic development. The project is also part of wider efforts to restore the Aral region and broaden its economic base. Yergeshbayev said Kazakhstan is paying close attention at the national level to the area's recovery, including the development of the geopark as a scientific and natural site. The Aral Geopark covers a landscape shaped by the retreat of the sea. According to the geopark's official description, its sites include the Barsakelmes State Nature Reserve, the Akespe hot spring, the Zhaksykylysh salt deposits, Lake Kamystybas, mausoleums, and settlements on the former seabed. UNESCO recognition is not automatic. A territory must first operate as a geopark, prepare a full application through national structures, undergo document checks, and host a field evaluation. Recommendations are then reviewed by UNESCO bodies before a final decision by the organization's Executive Board. If approved, the Aral Geopark would become Kazakhstan's first internationally recognized global geopark. Regional authorities say the status would help raise tourist interest, expand scientific research, and improve living standards for local residents. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed in December 2025 creating a dedicated United Nations body to address global water management challenges, including the deteriorating ecological conditions of the Aral and Caspian seas. In January 2026, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed ministries to accelerate the second phase of Kazakhstan's Northern Aral Sea restoration plan. The goal is to increase the sea's volume by around 10 to 11 billion cubic meters over the next four to five years.

Turkmen Embroidery

Turkmen Embroidery Showcased at International Fashion Event in France

Turkmenistan’s traditional textile art and national costumes were presented at Art-Storytelling Paris-Deauville, an international fashion event held in the French seaside town of Deauville. The event brought together designers, fashion industry professionals, cultural organizations, and members of the diplomatic community from Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia. Turkmenistan was represented by designer Jennet Agayeva, head of the embroidery department of the Women’s Union of Turkmenistan, alongside representatives of the Women’s Union and officials from the Embassy of Turkmenistan in France. The event also included designers from France, Vietnam, Morocco, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, who presented collections combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary fashion. Turkmen embroidery, officially listed by UNESCO as Turkmen-style needlework art, is one of the country’s best-known forms of traditional decorative art. In 2022, UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The embroidery is known for intricate geometric and floral patterns. Its traditional palette of red, yellow, black, and white has cultural significance in Turkmen heritage.