Fragile Fern – Cystopteris fragilis

Bukhara

Shahrisabz

Itchan Kala

Samarkand

Tian Shan

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Locations of World Heritage Sites in Uzbekistan

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by signatories to the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention.^[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.^[2] Uzbekistan accepted the UNESCO World Heritage Convention on 13 January 1993.

This is a list of World Heritage Sites in Uzbekistan with properties of cultural and natural heritage in Uzbekistan as inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List or as on the country's tentative list. As of 2023, seven sites in Uzbekistan are included: five cultural sites and 2 natural sites.^[3] In addition to its inscribed sites, Uzbekistan also lists thirty-two properties on its tentative list.^[3]

Site; named after the World Heritage Committee's official designation^[4]

Location; at city, regional, or provincial level and geocoordinates

UNESCO data; as defined by the World Heritage Committee^[5]

Area; in hectares and acres. If available, the size of the buffer zone has been noted as well. A value of zero implies that no data has been published by UNESCO

Year; during which the site was inscribed to the World Heritage List

Description; brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.

Site	Image	Location	UNESCO data	Area ha (acre)	Year	Description
Itchan Kala (Khiva)		Xorazm Region41°20′N 61°0′E / 41.333°N 61.000°E / 41.333; 61.000	543 Cultural:IrnArm (iii)(iv)(v)	37.5 (93)	1990	Itchan Kala is the inner town (protected by brick walls some 10 m high) of the old Khiva oasis, which was the last resting-place of caravans before crossing the desert to Iran. Although few very old monuments still remain, it is a coherent and well-preserved example of the Muslim architecture of Central Asia. There are several outstanding structures such as the Djuma Mosque, the mausoleums and the madrasas and the two magnificent palaces built at the beginning of the 19th century by Alla-Kulli-Khan.[6]
Historic Centre of Bukhara		Bukhara Region40°10′N 63°40′E / 40.167°N 63.667°E / 40.167; 63.667	602 Cultural:IrnArm (ii)(iv)(vi)	216 (530)	1993	Bukhara, which is situated on the Silk Route, is more than 2,000 years old. It is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia, with an urban fabric that has remained largely intact. Monuments of particular interest include the famous tomb of Ismail Samani, a masterpiece of 10th-century Muslim architecture, and a large number of 17th-century madrasas.[7]
Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz†		Qashqadaryo Region38°50′N 66°50′E / 38.833°N 66.833°E / 38.833; 66.833	885 Cultural:IrnArm (iii)(iv)	240 (590)	2000	The historic centre of Shakhrisyabz contains a collection of exceptional monuments and ancient quarters which bear witness to the city's secular development, and particularly to the period of its apogee, under the rule of Amir Temur and the Temurids, in the 15th-16th century.[8]
Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures		Samarqand Region39°50′N 66°15′E / 39.833°N 66.250°E / 39.833; 66.250	603 Cultural:IrnArm (i)(ii)(iv)	1,123 (2,770)	2001	The historic town of Samarkand is a crossroad and melting pot of the world's cultures. Founded in the 7th century B.C. as ancient Afrasiab, Samarkand had its most significant development in the Timurid period from the 14th to the 15th centuries. The major monuments include the Registan Mosque and madrasas, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda compound and the Gur-Emir ensemble, as well as Ulugh-Beg's Observatory.[9]
Western Tien-Shan*		Tashkent Region41°10′N 69°45′E / 41.167°N 69.750°E / 41.167; 69.750	1490 Natural:IrnArm (x)	35,724 (88,280)	2016	The transnational property is located in the Tien-Shan mountain system, one of the largest mountain ranges in the world. Western Tien-Shan ranges in altitude from 700 to 4,503 m. It features diverse landscapes, which are home to exceptionally rich biodiversity. It is of global importance as a centre of origin for a number of cultivated fruit crops and is home to a great diversity of forest types and unique plant community associations.[10]
Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor*		Samarqand Region, Navoiy Region, Bukhara Region39°46′N 64°20′E / 39.767°N 64.333°E / 39.767; 64.333	1675 Cultural:IrnArm (ii)(iii)(v)	371 (920)	2023	The Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor is a key section of the Silk Roads in Central Asia that connects other corridors from all directions. Located in rugged mountains, fertile river valleys, and uninhabitable desert, the 866-kilometre corridor runs from east to west along the Zarafshan River and further southwest following the ancient caravan roads crossing the Karakum Desert to the Merv Oasis. Channelling much of the east-west exchange along the Silk Roads from the 2nd century BCE to the 16th century CE, a large quantity of goods was traded along the corridor. People travelled, settled, conquered, or were defeated here, making it a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures, religions, sciences, and technologies.[11]
Cold Winter Deserts of Turan*		Karakalpakstan45°09′N 57°43′E / 45.150°N 57.717°E / 45.150; 57.717	1693 Natural:IrnArm (ix)(x)	2,075,443 (5,128,530)	2023	This transnational property comprises fourteen component parts found across arid areas of Central Asia’s temperate zone between the Caspian Sea and the Turanian high mountains. The area is subject to extreme climatic conditions with very cold winters and hot summers, and boasts an exceptionally diverse flora and fauna that has adapted to the harsh conditions. The property also represents a considerable diversity of desert ecosystems, spanning a distance of more than 1,500 kilometres from East to West. Each of the component parts complements the others in terms of biodiversity, desert types, and ongoing ecological processes.[12]

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list.^[13] The sites, along with the year they were included on the tentative list are:^[14]