List of World Heritage Sites in Northern and Central Asia

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 7 sites, one of which is a transborder property 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 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

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

Inscribed sites

  * Trans-border site

Site	Image	Location	Criteria	Area ha (acre)	Year	Description	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 Province,  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 Province,  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 Province,  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 Province,  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]
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		[15]
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi		Turkestan, South Kazakhstan Province,  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		[16]
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		[17]
Parthian Fortresses of Nisa		Bagyr settlement, Ruhabat District, Ahal Province,  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		[18]
Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly		Almaty Province,  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		[19]
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		[20]
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		[21]
Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures		Samarqand Province,  Uzbekistan 39°40′7″N 67°0′0″E / 39.66861°N 67.00000°E	Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv)	965 (2,380)	2001		[22]
Saryarka — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan		Akmola and Kostanay Provinces,  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		[23]
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 Province and Jambyl Province. 3 sites in  Kyrgyzstan: Chuy Province	Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)	42,668.16 (105,435.3); buffer zone 189,963.13 (469,409.1)	2014		[24]
State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv”		Mary Province,  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		[25]
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		[26]
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		[27]
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		[28]
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]		[29][30]

Notes

1. Extended in 2001 to include Kluchevskoy Nature Park.

References

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. "World Heritage List". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
4. "Number of World Heritage properties inscribed each Year". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
5. "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. "Lena Pillars Nature Park". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
16. "Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
17. "Natural System of Wrangel Island Reserve". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
18. "Parthian Fortresses of Nisa". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
19. "Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
20. "Proto-urban site of Sarazm". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
21. "Putorana Plateau". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
22. "Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
23. "Saryarka — Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
24. "Silk Road". UNESCO. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
25. "State Historical and Cultural Park "Ancient Merv"". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
26. "Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
27. "Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs)". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
28. "Uvs Nuur Basin". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
29. "Volcanoes of Kamchatka". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
30. "Decision - 25COM X.B - Volcanoes of Kamchatka [Extension to include Kluchevskoy Nature Park] (Russian Federation)". UNESCO. Retrieved 20 October 2011.