Turkistan to Host International Craft Exhibition as Kazakhstan Boosts Cultural Tourism
Turkistan, The Gulf Observer: An international exhibition titled “Turkistan – The City of Craftsmen” is set to be held in Turkistan as part of Kazakhstan’s national strategy to enhance tourism infrastructure, promote cultural heritage, and strengthen domestic tourism. The initiative follows the directive of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The exhibition will take place within the grounds of the Center for Craftsmanship, a major tourist cluster currently under construction in the cultural and spiritual heart of the Turkistan region. The site spans 2.5 hectares and will feature 25 architectural facilities, including craft workshops, exhibition pavilions, hotels, and public spaces. The total investment in the project is approximately 5.5 billion tenge.
Vice Minister of Tourism and Sport Yerzhan Yerkinbayev recently conducted a working visit to inspect the progress of the center’s construction. He emphasized the importance of the center as a cornerstone of regional tourism development.
The exhibition is expected to host over 140 craftsmen from Kazakhstan and abroad, showcasing both traditional and modern crafts. A variety of cultural events will accompany the exhibition, including air balloon shows, AVTOFEST, a gastronomy fair offering national cuisine, and a concert featuring prominent Kazakh artists.
Turkistan has recently been recognized as the “Tourism Capital of the Turkic World” and officially granted the title “City of Craftsmen.”
In a related development, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has commended Kazakhstan’s new law “On the Special Status of the City of Turkistan,” which includes important provisions for cultural heritage protection, sustainable tourism, and urban planning. The law imposes a construction height limit of seven meters within 100 meters of the buffer zone boundaries to preserve the integrity of heritage sites.
