Outcomes of International Symposium on Heritage of Golden Horde Presented at UNESCO

Paris, 10 June 2026 – The outcomes of the symposium on the history of the Golden Horde held in Astana were among the topics discussed at the international conference “Heritage, Travel and Traditions of the Silk Roads: A Journey of Intercultural Dialogue,” organized at UNESCO Headquarters on the occasion of the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.

UNESCO’s senior leadership, ambassadors of countries situated along the historic overland and maritime Silk Roads, as well as prominent scholars and experts in history and cultural heritage, took part in the event.

In his remarks, Kazakhstan’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Ambassador Askar Abdrakhmanov, highlighted his country’s role in the development of the Silk Roads and their contemporary manifestations as a vehicle not only for economic exchange but also for intercultural dialogue and interaction.

In this context, the Ambassador informed participants of the meeting in Paris about the outcomes of the international symposium “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization: History, Archaeology, Culture and Identity,” held in Astana on 19–20 May 2026.

According to him, the participation of more than 300 delegates from over 20 countries across Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East, representing various research schools specializing in the history of the Golden Horde and the Great Steppe, reflected the high international importance of a systematic study of the political, socio-economic and cultural heritage of this large medieval state and the continued relevance of further in-depth research on the broad range of related topics.

As the Ambassador recalled, during the era of the Golden Horde, which controlled the northern branch of the Silk Roads and ensured the security of trade routes across the Great Steppe, tons of goods regularly passed through its territory, including silk from China, spices from India, furs from Russia, horses from Central Asia, and handicraft products from Europe and the Middle East. He noted that the minting of a vast number of coins in the name of the rulers of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde) was evidence of its economic power, while discoveries of these coins across various regions of Eurasia help us today to trace more accurately the history of trade and other exchanges along this section of the Silk Roads.

“The grand symposium on the heritage of the Golden Horde, held in Kazakhstan under the patronage of UNESCO, clearly demonstrated the strong interest of the international scholarly community in rethinking the interconnected histories of Eurasia and the Great Steppe through a broader and more inclusive perspective,” the diplomat emphasized.

In this regard, he thanked the leadership of this reputable intergovernmental organization for its valuable support for the Kazakh initiative, its high-level participation in the symposium, and its substantive contribution to the academic discussions held in Astana.

For his part, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, who headed the Organization’s delegation to the symposium in Astana, praised the event’s high organizational and substantive quality. He underscored the importance of such initiatives for a comprehensive study of the contribution made by the peoples of Eurasia to the common cultural heritage of humanity and expressed appreciation to Kazakhstan for its long-standing support of UNESCO’s Silk Roads Program.

At the conclusion of the day’s program, conference participants were able to sample national cuisines reflecting the culinary heritage of the countries of the Silk Roads, including one from Kazakhstan.