Silk Roads Heritage Corridors in Central Asia

UNESCO and the European Union launched the project on “Silk Roads Heritage Corridors in Central Asia – International Dimension of the European Year of Cultural Heritage” in October 2018.

In the long-term, the action will strengthen the contribution of culture to sustainable development, notably through heritage-based tourism development, diversifying tourism products and delivering high-quality visitor experiences along the Silk Roads heritage corridors in the participating countries.

These activities aim to contribute to improving livelihoods of the communities in the region, including youth and women, through capacity-building and the creation of opportunities for income-generation and jobs.

In 2024, a joint virtual exhibition on the common heritage along the Silk Roads will be developed as a result of the project.

There are four main objectives of the project:

1. Valorization of tangible and intangible heritage,
2. Heritage is used as a foundation for sustainable development,
3. Support to strengthen human and institutional capacities,
4. Awareness-raising initiatives further promote and facilitate partnerships and improve communication.

The Chang’an – Tian-shan Silk Road Corridor has become the first stretch of the Silk Road to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List presented by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in 2014. The 33 components included in the routes network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Roads include capital cities and palace complexes of various empires and kingdoms, trading settlements, Buddhist cave temples, ancient paths, posthouses, passes, beacon towers, sections of The Great Wall, fortifications, tombs and religious buildings.

In 2023, Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor nominated by Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan also joined the list of Silk Roads World Heritage properties.

The project aims to get achievements in following directions:

• Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor: components in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
• Rehabilitation of the heritage sites along the Silk Roads
• Joint exhibition on the common heritage along the Silk Roads
• Cultural Heritage based tourism
• Safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage along the Silk Roads

Travel Guides along the Silk Roads

This series of interviews prepared as part of the project together with Manshuq E-media includes stories of four travel guides, who participated in the capacity-building activities also conducted as part of the project.

All video and text interviews of this series are available in the special playlist at the YouTube page of UNESCO Almaty and in the special page at Manshuq E-media.

Crafts of Central Asia

This series of interviews prepared as part of the project together with Manshuq E-media includes stories of four following craft masters:

• Munira Akilova, embroiderer and designer reviving traditional crafts from northern Tajikistan
• Zhyldyz Asanakunova, founder and director of Almaluu “ethnic village” located on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan
• Zhansara Bolegenova, famous felt master in Kazakhstan
• Nilyufar Musajonova, famous embroidery expert from Uzbekistan

All video and text interviews of this series are available in the special playlist at the YouTube page of UNESCO Almaty and in the special page at Manshuq E-media.

All comics and illustrations prepared in the framework of the project were designed by Nicolas Journoud, a French illustrator and animator, who lived in Central Asia for 10 years.