UNESCO Secretariat Receives Board for Togyzqumalaq Game Inscribed on Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Paris, March 27, 2025 – With the support of the Permanent Delegation of Kazakhstan to UNESCO, a meeting was held at the Organization’s Paris headquarters between the President of the World Togyzqumalaq Federation, Alikhan Baimenov, and the Secretary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Fumiko Ohinata.

The President of the Federation expressed gratitude to the UNESCO Secretariat for its support in the 2020 inscription of the nomination Traditional Intelligence and Strategy Game: Togyzqumalaq / Toguz korgool / Mangala / Göçürme on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, initiated by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye.

Speaking about the history and significance of this ancient game, which has gained wide international dissemination, he emphasized that togyzqumalaq is an important part of the cultural heritage of the people, reflecting its wisdom and spiritual values.

During the meeting, Baimenov presented the Secretariat with a togyzqumalaq game board, as well as one of the game stones that had been into the stratosphere during the World Nomad Games (September 2024, Astana).

The Federation’s President also introduced the UNESCO staff to the rules of the game and played a match with them, thereby demonstrating how the intangible cultural heritage can serve as a bridge that unites people from different countries and cultures.