The 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is being held in Busan, South Korea. During the meeting, several cultural and historical heritage sites from ECO member countries were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of them is Kazakhstan's “Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau.” This heritage property consists of the sacred sites of Beket Ata, Shopan Ata, Karaman Ata, Shakpak Ata, and Sultan Ebe.
The sacred sites of the Mangystau region reflect the spiritual legacy of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and the Sufi tradition of the Turkestan geography. As is well known, the title “Ata” in Turkestan is used for the followers of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi's spiritual path and for the spiritual figures who carried forward his tradition of guidance and enlightenment. In this sense, the “ATA’s” -the followers of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi's spiritual path and the embodiment of Turkestan's ancient spirituality- have now been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This development represents not only the recognition of a historical and cultural heritage site but also the international acknowledgment by UNESCO of one of Kazakhstan's significant soft power assets. As Dr. Hayati Bice has noted, the spiritual legacy of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, revered as the spiritual guide of the Turks, and the cultural heritage of Turkestan constitute an important source of soft power that enhances Kazakhstan's cultural diplomacy and international appeal. With this inscription, UNESCO has formally recognized and affirmed this cultural and spiritual legacy on the international stage.