The joint nomination of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan "Silk Road: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor", including 31 ancient monuments, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The corresponding decision was made at the expanded 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, which was attended by a delegation of Turkmenistan headed by the country's Permanent Representative to UNESCO Maksat Charyev.

According to the description on the UNESCO website, the Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor is a key section of the Silk Road in Central Asia, which connects other corridors from all directions.

Passing along the rocky mountains, fertile river valleys and uninhabited desert, the 866-kilometer corridor runs from east to west along the Zarafshan River and further southwest along the ancient caravan routes crossing the Karakum Desert to the Merv oasis.

A large number of goods were transported along the corridor, which was the main channel of East-west exchange from the II century BC to the XVI century AD. This path has become a unique place for uniting different ethnic groups, cultures, sciences and technologies.

Along the Zarafshan-Karakum corridor, medieval cities, works of art and architectural monuments were found, testifying to the development and mutual enrichment of various civilizations in Central Asia.