The celebration on the occasion of the inclusion of the “Great Silk Road: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor” site in the UNESCO World Heritage List, organized by the National Department of Turkmenistan for the Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments, brought together prominent scientists, leaders and representatives at the State Museum of the State Cultural Center of the country The Ministry of Culture, state historical and cultural reserves, the Institute of History and Archeology of the Academy of Sciences, as well as teachers and students of specialized universities, museum staff and media representatives, Turkmenportal correspondent reports.
As you know, the decision to include the site “The Great Silk Road: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor” in the UNESCO World Heritage List was made on September 17, 2023 at the extended 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).
The corresponding certificate was presented to the Turkmen side by the UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan Narine Sahakyan on December 27, 2023 during the international scientific and practical conference and exhibition dedicated to the results of the year “Happy Youth with Arkadag Serdar”.
This fact served as the reason for organizing the current event, the main topic of which was the study and popularization of monuments from the transnational serial nomination located on the territory of Turkmenistan.
The participants of the celebration were shown video materials on the topic, including slides depicting monuments of an important section of the Great Silk Road Amul - Merv.
As noted during the conference, the transnational serial nomination, which includes 31 monuments located in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, reflects outstanding achievements in the field of architecture and technology, monumental art and urban planning along the Silk Road from the 2nd century BC.
to the 16th century AD The Turkmen part of this large-scale project was developed with the participation of specialists from the National Administration of Turkmenistan for the Protection, Study and Restoration of Historical and Cultural Monuments and the State Historical and Cultural Reserves “Kerki” and “Ancient Merv”.
Separate messages were devoted to seven architectural monuments - Turkmen medieval cities, fortresses, caravanserais, preserved along the Great Silk Road and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Among these monuments are the Amul settlement, Mansaf rabat, the Kyene-kala, at-Takhmaladzh, Akcha-kala, Kyzylcha-kala caravanserais, and the Kushmeikhan settlement.
Those present were familiarized with the results of archaeological research carried out on these monuments by Turkmen archaeologists and joint expeditions with foreign scientists; finds were also presented - evidence of the flourishing of the material culture of medieval Turkmen cities located along the Great Silk Road.
Many of these archaeological finds became exhibits in one of the exhibition halls of the State Museum of the State Cultural Center, the exhibition of which was viewed by the participants of the gala event.