Experts discuss inclusion of Caspian Corridor of Silk Road in UNESCO World Heritage List

A regional meeting of international experts dedicated to the inclusion of the Caspian Corridor of the Great Silk Road in the UNESCO World Heritage List has been held in Ashgabat, Azernews reports, citing Turkmenportal.

Government representatives, national coordinators, and experts from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of UNESCO and other international organisations, participated in the event.

The meeting discussed draft programs and documents aimed at preserving and popularizing historical heritage. Particular attention was paid to the development of a Roadmap for the nomination process of the Caspian-Volga Corridor and the integration of modern technologies in the research and management of heritage sites.

The participants also highlighted possibilities of using advanced techniques, such as remote sensing and field research, to study land and underwater archaeological sites in the region.

The meeting program includes a trip to the open-air monument-Old Nisa, included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Recall that Azerbaijan National History Museum hosted the second annual sub-regional conference and practical field workshop on the Volga-Caspian Corridor of the Silk Roads this October.

Co-organized by the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and the UNESCO World Heritage Center, the conference and workshop were aimed at continuing efforts in the areas of developing guidelines and recommendations on the Volga-Caspian Corridor of the Silk Roads Heritage; conducting an inventory and scientific documentation of heritage sites; defining criteria for prioritizing components in the selection process for the transnational nomination of the Volga-Caspian Corridor to the World Heritage List; agreeing on a coordination mechanism and the role of the Secretariat in the nomination process; conducting research on underwater heritage and establishing links between archaeological research on land routes and underwater archaeological work; continuing thematic research on the Silk Roads by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), including a study of the Volga-Caspian Corridor.