Process

The preparation of the World Heritage nomination for the Ustyurt: Landscapes and Aran Hunting Traps began in 2019, when the mixed heritage site was added to Kazakhstan's Tentative List for World Heritage. The preparation of the nomination documentation was led jointly by the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, with support from the Akimat of Mangystau Region and the Ustyurt State Nature Reserve.

The nomination dossier was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Center for technical evaluation by the advisory bodies, ICOMOS and IUCN, in February 2026. The final decision on this nomination will be made at the 49th session of the World Heritage Committee in summer 2027.