The Euro-Asia Secretariat of the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) and the Municipality of Turkistan invite to take part in X International Conference of Eurasia World Heritage Cities. This event will take place from 1 to 3 of April and will gather mayors and representatives of Eurasia local governments, as well as experts from organizations dealing with the issues of culture and heritage preservation.

This Conference will be dedicated to the topic “Heritage, Tourism and Urban Planning”. How to launch new construction preserving historical appearance? How to develop and improve the territory of heritage sites? What threats exist for Eurasia heritage sites and how could the sustainable urban planning prevent them? How to revive cultural tourism after the COVID-19 crisis? These and other issues will be discussed during the event. Besides, the conference offers a bright and intense program including visits to UNESCO cultural heritage sites and acquaintance with culture of Kazakhstan.

The city of Turkistan is a pearl of the Great Silk Road, one of the most ancient cities not only of Kazakhstan, but Central Asia as well. The rich history of this city goes back to 490. Tens of ancient cities, settlements and religious buildings adorn the surroundings of Turkistan. Pilgrims from all over the world come here to visit local shrines in order to get spiritually purified, to cure infertility and other diseases. An unsurpassed masterpiece of the mediaeval architecture and the main tourist attraction of Turkistan the Mausoleum of Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003.

Personal participation in the Conference is welcomed. Entry to Kazakhstan is accessible subject to availability of a certificate of the negative COVID-19 test. The participants unable to come to Turkistan will have an opportunity to take part in the Conference online.

Let us remind that the last such conference took place in 2019 in the city of Denpasar, Indonesia, and was dedicated to the theme “Resilient Heritage and Tourism”.

For more information on the Conference, please, phone +7 843 292 09 34 or write an e-mail to [email protected]

Download the conference program