Kazakhstan UNESCO World Heritage Sites 2026: Data & List

Kazakhstan has 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as of 2026: 3 cultural (Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Tamgaly Petroglyphs, Silk Roads Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor) and 3 natural (Saryarka Steppe, Western Tien-Shan, Cold Winter Deserts of Turan). All are inscribed under UNESCO criteria reflecting outstanding universal value. Kazakhstan also maintains 14+ sites on the UNESCO Tentative List under active consideration. Below is the complete MFA-and-UNESCO-verified dataset with downloadable CSV.

Quick Facts

• Kazakhstan has 6 inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as of April 2026)
• Breakdown: 3 cultural + 3 natural + 0 mixed
• 3 are transnational (shared with neighbouring countries)
• First inscription: 2003 (Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi)
• Most recent inscription: 2023 (Cold Winter Deserts of Turan)
• Tentative List: 14+ sites under active consideration
• Most accessible to tourists: Yasawi Mausoleum (Turkestan, 165 km north of Shymkent)
• Largest natural site: Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (~450,000 ha core zone)
• Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre official register

Primary sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre Kazakhstan listings and Wikipedia List of World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan. All inscriptions verified against UNESCO official register, April 2026.

Headline Numbers

Category	Count
Inscribed sites total	6
Cultural sites	3
Natural sites	3
Mixed sites	0
Transnational sites	3 (Silk Roads, Western Tien-Shan, Cold Winter Deserts of Turan)
First inscription year	2003 (Yasawi Mausoleum)
Most recent inscription	2023 (Cold Winter Deserts of Turan)
Tentative list sites	14+

Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, verified April 2026.

All 6 Inscribed Sites (Full Detail)

1. Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (2003)

Field	Value
Type	Cultural
Year inscribed	2003
UNESCO criteria	(i), (iii), (iv)
Location	Turkestan, Turkestan Region
Coordinates	43.2972° N, 68.2733° E
Area	~55 hectares (core zone)

The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a Timurid-era mausoleum built starting 1389 by order of Tamerlane (Timur) over the tomb of the 12th-century Sufi master Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The construction was halted in 1405 with Timur’s death and remains partially unfinished. It is one of the largest and best-preserved Timurid architectural monuments in Central Asia and a major pilgrimage site.

Visit notes: Located in Turkestan, 165 km north of Shymkent. Open daily, modest dress required. Entry fee minimal. Major restoration completed 2018-2020 funded by UNESCO/Türkiye partnership.

2. Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly (2004)

Field	Value
Type	Cultural
Year inscribed	2004
UNESCO criteria	(iii)
Location	Almaty Region, ~170 km NW of Almaty city
Coordinates	43.7869° N, 75.5328° E
Area	900 hectares

The Tamgaly site contains around 5,000 petroglyphs across 48 complexes spanning from the Bronze Age (~14th century BCE) through the Iron Age and into the medieval period. The rock art depicts solar deities, hunting scenes, ceremonies, animals, and human figures. Tamgaly remains one of the largest concentrated petroglyph sites in Central Asia.

Visit notes: 170 km from Almaty, accessible by tour or self-drive (4WD recommended). Day-trip operators in Almaty offer full-day guided visits at 25,000-50,000 KZT.

3. Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (2008)

Field	Value
Type	Natural
Year inscribed	2008
UNESCO criteria	(ix)
Location	Akmola Region (Korgalzhyn) and Kostanay Region (Naurzum)
Area	450,344 hectares (combined)

Saryarka comprises the Korgalzhyn and Naurzum nature reserves, protecting the world’s largest remaining steppe-and-lake ecosystem. Critical wetlands for migratory birds along the Central Asian flyway, including the largest population of the endangered Pallid Harrier and an important Tengiz lake habitat for Greater Flamingos at the northernmost limit of their range.

Visit notes: Korgalzhyn is 130 km from Astana. Naurzum is in Kostanay Region. Both require 4WD access and ranger-guided tours during sensitive seasons.

4. Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor (2014)

Field	Value
Type	Cultural
Year inscribed	2014
UNESCO criteria	(ii), (iii), (v), (vi)
Location	Multiple sites across Almaty, Jambyl, Turkestan Regions
Area	42,668 hectares (transnational total)
Transnational with	China, Kyrgyzstan

This serial transnational inscription covers 33 component sites total along the Chang’an-Tianshan Silk Road corridor. Kazakhstan contributes 8 component sites including Talgar, Karamergen, Kayalyk, Aktobe, Akyrtas, Kulan, Ornek, and Costobe (Tarmola). Inscription marks Kazakhstan’s role as a key node in the medieval Silk Road network, particularly during the Karakhanid (10th-12th centuries) and earlier periods.

Visit notes: Most accessible component is Akyrtas, near Taraz. Some sites are archaeological ruins requiring guide.

5. Western Tien-Shan (2016)

Field	Value
Type	Natural
Year inscribed	2016
UNESCO criteria	(x)
Location	Turkestan and Jambyl Regions
Area	528,177 hectares (transnational total)
Transnational with	Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

Mountain ecosystem of the Western Tien-Shan range with exceptional biodiversity including endemic and threatened species. Kazakhstan’s contribution includes parts of the Aksu-Zhabagly, Karatau, and Sayram-Ugam protected areas. The site protects unique forest ecosystems, alpine meadows, and ancient genetic centers for fruit and nut tree species (including wild apple - relevant to Almaty’s name “Father of Apples”).

Visit notes: Aksu-Zhabagly is the most accessible Kazakh component, requiring permits and ranger guides.

6. The Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (2023)

Field	Value
Type	Natural
Year inscribed	2023
UNESCO criteria	(ix)
Location	Multiple desert regions
Area	2,569,130 hectares (transnational total)
Transnational with	Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Most recently inscribed Kazakhstan UNESCO site (2023). Protects the cold winter desert ecosystem of Turan, covering large stretches of southern and western Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstan portion includes parts of Aktau-Buzachi, Ustyurt, and Barsa-Kelmes nature reserves.

Visit notes: Most components are remote and require permits. Significant overlap with the Mangystau region recommended for the desert experience.

UNESCO Tentative List (Active Nominations)

Kazakhstan has a deep future UNESCO pipeline beyond the six inscribed sites. Kazakhstan has 14+ sites on the UNESCO Tentative List that may eventually be inscribed.

Site	Type	Year Added
Petroglyphs of Arpaözen	Cultural	1998
Madeniet ossuary	Cultural	1998
Aulie-Tau	Cultural	1998
Beket-Ata Underground Mosque	Cultural	2002
Burabay (Borovoye) Resort Zone	Mixed	2002
Charyn Canyon	Natural	2002
Kapchagay-Topar Lake	Mixed	2002
Otrar Oasis	Cultural	2008
Talhir (Talgar)	Cultural	2010
Sauran Ancient City	Cultural	2014
Underground Mosques of Mangystau	Cultural	2018
Architectural Resilience: Anti-seismic Heritage of Almaty	Cultural	2025
Cultural Landscape of Ulytau	Cultural	2021
Abylaikit Monastery	Cultural	2021

In April 2025, Kazakhstan’s tourism authorities announced plans to nominate 11 additional UNESCO monuments as part of the National Tourism Development Plan, prioritizing sites with both heritage and tourism potential.

Geographic Distribution

Region	Inscribed sites	Tentative sites
Turkestan Region	1 (Yasawi Mausoleum)	2-3 (Otrar, Sauran)
Almaty Region	1 (Tamgaly)	3+ (Talgar, Charyn, Kapchagay)
Akmola Region	1 (Saryarka - Korgalzhyn)	1 (Burabay)
Kostanay Region	1 (Saryarka - Naurzum)	-
Jambyl Region	Silk Road components	-
Mangystau Region	Cold Winter Deserts (partial)	1 (Underground Mosques)
East Kazakhstan	-	1 (Abylaikit)
Ulytau Region	-	1 (Cultural Landscape)
Multiple	Western Tien-Shan, Silk Road, Turan Deserts	-

Downloadable Dataset

📥 Download kazakhstan-unesco-sites-2026.csv (1 KB)

Schema (columns):

Column	Type	Description
name	string	Official English name
name_ru	string	Russian name
year_inscribed	int	Year of UNESCO inscription
type	enum	cultural / natural / mixed
criteria	string	UNESCO criteria letters
region	string	Kazakhstan region
area_ha	int	Site area in hectares
latitude, longitude	float	Center coordinates (WGS84)
description	string	One-line summary

License: Open access for journalistic, academic, tourism and commercial use with attribution: “Source: about-kazakhstan.com (compiled from UNESCO World Heritage Centre, verified April 2026).”

For Travelers: Visiting UNESCO Sites in Kazakhstan

The easiest Kazakhstan UNESCO trip is Turkistan first, then Tamgaly or Silk Roads routes if you have more time. A pragmatic ranking for visitors deciding which sites to prioritize:

Site	Accessibility	Time needed	Best season
Yasawi Mausoleum (Turkestan)	Easy: 165 km north of Shymkent, paved road	1 day	Apr-Oct
Tamgaly Petroglyphs	Moderate: 170 km from Almaty, gravel road	1 day	Apr-Oct
Korgalzhyn (Saryarka)	Moderate: 130 km from Astana, requires permit	1-2 days	May-Sept
Naurzum (Saryarka)	Hard: remote in Kostanay Region	2-3 days	May-Sept
Aksu-Zhabagly (Western Tien-Shan)	Hard: requires permit + guide	2-4 days	May-Sept
Akyrtas (Silk Road)	Easy: near Taraz	Half day	Year-round
Cold Winter Deserts (Mangystau)	Hard: requires guided expedition	4-7 days	Apr-May, Sept-Oct

What I actually recommend: for a first-time visitor with one week, do Yasawi Mausoleum + Tamgaly + Akyrtas. Three UNESCO sites, all reachable from Almaty/Shymkent base, no specialist gear required.

Methodology and Verification

This dataset was compiled from primary UNESCO sources:

1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre - Kazakhstan country page
2. UNESCO Tentative Lists for Kazakhstan
3. Cross-referenced against Wikipedia List of World Heritage Sites in Kazakhstan
4. Recent additions cross-checked against Astana Times coverage of UNESCO nominations (April 2025)
5. Coordinates verified per UNESCO official inscription documents

Update commitment: Reviewed annually after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee summer session (June-July). Tentative list changes captured as published.

Related guides

**For planning context, use Kazakhstan tourist attractions, Silk Road Kazakhstan, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Places to** visit in Kazakhstan.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan has 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as of 2026: 3 cultural sites (Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi 2003, Tamgaly Petroglyphs 2004, Silk Roads Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor 2014) and 3 natural sites (Saryarka Steppe 2008, Western Tien-Shan 2016, Cold Winter Deserts of Turan 2023). Three of the natural and cultural sites are transnational, shared with neighboring countries.

What are the 3 cultural UNESCO sites in Kazakhstan?

The 3 cultural UNESCO sites in Kazakhstan are: 1) Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan (Timurid-era 14th century, inscribed 2003), 2) Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly in Almaty Region (Bronze Age rock art, inscribed 2004), and 3) Silk Roads: Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (transnational with China and Kyrgyzstan, 8 Kazakhstan component sites, inscribed 2014).

What is the most recent UNESCO site added in Kazakhstan?

The most recent UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kazakhstan is the Cold Winter Deserts of Turan, inscribed in 2023. It is a transnational natural site shared with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, protecting the unique cold desert ecosystem covering 2.5+ million hectares total. Kazakhstan's contribution includes parts of Aktau-Buzachi, Ustyurt, and Barsa-Kelmes nature reserves.

Where is the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi?

The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is located in Turkestan city, Turkestan Region of southern Kazakhstan, approximately 165 km north of Shymkent. Coordinates: 43.2972° N, 68.2733° E. The Timurid-era mausoleum was built starting 1389 by order of Tamerlane (Timur) and remains partially unfinished. It is open daily for visitors and pilgrims; modest dress required.

Are Almaty's apple orchards protected by UNESCO?

Indirectly yes, through the Western Tien-Shan inscription (2016). The Western Tien-Shan UNESCO site protects ecosystems containing wild apple species (Malus sieversii) considered the genetic ancestor of all cultivated apples worldwide. This connects to Almaty's name etymology as 'Father of Apples' and the city's historical apple-growing heritage.

Where can I download Kazakhstan UNESCO sites data as CSV?

A complete CSV dataset of Kazakhstan UNESCO World Heritage Sites with coordinates, criteria, area, and inscription year is available at about-kazakhstan.com/datasets/kazakhstan-unesco-sites-2026.csv. Open access with attribution. Compiled from UNESCO World Heritage Centre, verified April 2026.

Last verified: 27 April 2026. Primary source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Annual refresh after the World Heritage Committee summer session.