“A man in Pamir, from birth to death, is accompa- nied by all sorts of family and everyday rites and customs. In many traditions, including the prepa- ration and use of food, traces of deep geographical and climatic isolation are clearly visible.The Pamir highlanders who lived in closeness with their nature had a great culture, rich in traditions, cults, customs which created humane framework of actions in relation to wildlife. Cultural values and practices re- lated to caring for nature at the same time supported the life of the mountain peoples. This culture has become the main priority for the effective,reasonable and rational use of wildlife resources.Such behavior not only contributed to the survival of the mountain population in the most severe climatic conditions, but also became the main factor in the conservation of wild fauna and flora.

Alisher Ikramov reviews information collected through a survey funded by ICHCAP. While his work primarily reviews ICH festivals, he is also able to gain insights into ways that networks can promote ICH along the Silk Roads. Looking at the importance of local communities and the popularity of such festivals locally, there is concern about a lack of a network to encourage larger tourist attendance. However, there are feelings that festivals do not authentically represent local traditions and products. Therefore, this could lead to an undesirable level of commoditization and as a result lower the quality of the event.

The epic Manas occupies a central place in the spiritual culture of the Kyrgyz people as a consolidating factor of the ethnos and basis for self-identity. The significance of the epic in the treasury of human heritage was recognised by the world community in 1995. The resolution ‘On celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the Kyrgyz National Epos Manas was adopted at the 49th session of the UN General Assembly carried out by UNESCO and UNDP. The 1000th anniversary of the epic ‘Manas’ was celebrated on the international level with the participation of more than 60 countries. A number of exhibitions, festivals, and conferences dedicated to the epic ‘Manas’ were held in Turkey, China, USA, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and other countries. The inclusion of Manas on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013 was the next important step in the recognition of the Epos as World Heritage.

The traditions of the Silk Roads go back many thousands of years, more than fifteen centuries, and holds a permanent place in the history of humanity and considerable monuments along the way. Bypassing political influences, Turkmenistan grew as a cultural hub for various traditions. Turkmenistan was at the crossroads of the Eurasian routes, a meeting point of various cultures and civilizations, passing along traditions. The major routes hold an historic and philosophical significance and display a strong sense of harmony among neighboring cultures. Through many centuries Turkmenistan played its part as a conduit for travelers along the Eurasian routes. One of the major issues in relation to the 2030 agenda is our cooperation with UNESCO and the UNESCO structures and experts to produce visible outcomes. Turkmenistan plans to continue its role of cooperation and looks forward to nominating more elements to the UNESCO lists. Akhal-Teke horses and Alabay dogs are loyal friends and faithful companions to Turkmens and are an integral part of the ICH along the Silk Roads.

The fundamental purpose of the 2003 Convention is to contribute to peacebuilding, mutual understanding, respect, dialogue among different people and communities and to empower and enrich the cultural diversity of humanity. The concept and nature of ICH are linked with the expression of valuable knowledge and skills transmitted among ethnic communities and groups, in a word, with the spiritual memory of the people and societies, which transcend geographical spaces and political borders. As ICH is often shared by communities on the territories of more than one state, the multinational inscriptions of such a shared heritage on the UNESCO List of ICH constitute an important mechanism for promoting international cooperation. \n\nThe Committee, therefore, decided (7.COM 14) to establish an online platform through which State Parties can announce their intentions to nominate elements and other State Parties may learn new opportunities for cooperation in establishing multinational nominations. Mongolia holds the multinational nomination with China on the ‘Urtiin duu, Mongolian traditional folk long song’ (2008) and with 18 States Parties on the ‘Falconry, a living human heritage’ which are inscribed on the Representative List of the ICH of Humanity

This networking program is based on experiences and achievements obtained from the collaborative work of UNESCO-ICHCAP in the living heritage field in Central Asia over the last decade.\n\nFor reference, the networking program comes on the heels of a three-party MoU signed by ICHCAP and organizations in Uzbekistan in 2019 and was followed by a Central Asia network meeting in Kazakhstan in 2019. In 2020, ICHCAP in cooperation with International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS), conducted a survey project about ICH festivals along the Silk Roads, particularly with countries along the steppe route. Regarding the survey result, ICHCAP, IICAS and Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum Secretariat of the Korea Foundation (KF) held an online webinar and a strategic meeting to consider the need for realizing the multilateral values of Silk Roads-related cooperation

List of ICH Festivals applied for the Silk Roads Living Heritage Network Membership

ICHCAP published Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kyrgyzstan as part of its ICH and Society series. The newest volume introduces various intangible heritage elements of Kyrgyzstan. It is the eighth book in the series and is the result of a two-year joint project between ICHCAP and the National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO from 2018 to 2019 to encourage the awareness of Kyrgyzstan’s intangible heritage.\n\nKyrgyzstan’s intangible heritage once faced a cultural disruption crisis during the Soviet system. However, consciousness of the crisis and many efforts to safeguarding ICH in Kyrgyzstan has helped keep many elements alive.\n\nThis book consists of six themes, including traditional crafts, rituals, oral traditions and traditional foods and introduces their cultural roots and identity by explaining around a hundred Kyrgyz ICH elements such as horse breeding, pasture management, rites of passage.

The horse, a special animal that, ever since the beginning of civilization, has been tamed by humans. The creature has accompanied humans, from carrying loads to partaking in ceremonies. There’s not much information available on how exactly this animal was tamed, but historical evidence such as paintings discovered on the walls of caves and the pottery found in the very first human’s accommodations confirms that it was domesticated first by the Aryans and brought to the plateau of Persia. A place in which this creature has gone through many ups and downs, taken from carrying stuff for humans to becoming a playmate for him in such an ancient game like polo (chogan) with a significant role. And the presence of Turkmen horses, which are considered one of the best breeds in the world, has not been ineffective in advancing these events.\n\nHorse Background\nThe connection between humans and horses dates back to the Neolithic Era, and ever since men tamed horses, the essence of the value of these creatures has penetrated into the beliefs of the ancient people of Persia. Horses included in such a place that they would be sacrificed to the gods of ancient Persia and India. This value could be seen in the Zoroastrian’s book of Avesta, the epics, mythos, and legends in Shahnameh, and the poetry book of Ferdowsi, the great Persian poet. Names mentioned in the book of Avesta generally mean “the owner of the horse.” Horses were so sacred that they were said to carry the chariots of the gods of ancient Persia and India.\n\nHorseback Riding\nWith the technology in the hands of the ancient people, many things would not have been possible without the presence of animals such as horses, cows, or camels. In the meantime, on the one hand, because of horses’ value, and on the other hand, for its agility, strength, high speed, and loyalty, the horse could be a human helper. As history says: The Parthians did not separate their bows and horses only in their dreams, and among the Achaemenids, the horse has been their friend and helper since childhood. As the historical evidence confirms, the first Persian people to have an army on horseback were the Achaemenids, who were called Arteshtaran, the aristocrats who had been trained since childhood.\n\nIn the Parthians period, horseback riding was the favorite sport of the royal families. During the Sassanid period, they sided with the farmers and the traders. During the Samanid period, horses were sold in the bazaar of Khorasan as an intelligent animal, which its use in military units, Chaparkhaneh (in terms of posting offices), and carriages increased significantly.\n\nUsage of Horses\nIn ancient Persia, due to the power and speed of these animals, they could be used in many places to send messages and letters, they were used as Chapar’s horses who would only take messages and bring back the response. On the battlefield, they accompanied the cavalry and were used at banquets and military ceremonies. With all that, one question is left to answer:\n\nWhy was the role of horses in playing chogan as necessary as humans were?\n\nChogan (polo), as an aristocratic game played in the Safavid court, was a way for the Safavid kings to communicate with the people. The sport was popular among the people, and people used every opportunity to hold this game. To answer the question of why the horse’s role in chogan is as prominent as the role of man, it can be said that it is due to the picture of this animal captured in the minds of people and kings for centuries.\n\nThe superiority of the Turkmen horse breeding, on the one hand, and on the other hand, its role in the religious beliefs, and the powerful reality of this animal in traveling distances, and accepting the fact that it has been with man throughout history, could be a reason for humans, to share it in wars and travels, and now to share it in entertainment and joy so that he could once again meet his need for a sense of constant companionship.\n\nPhoto : Chogan in painting