Culture

Mongolia

• © UNESCO
• Performer of Urtiin Duu

The Mongolian sites (one natural and one cultural) on the World Heritage List reflect the wealth of the country’s heritage.

The country’s intangible heritage has been the subject of audiovisual documentation for purposes of safeguarding with the assistance of UNESCO. Traditional morin khuur music was proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003, while steps have been taken to preserve the instrument’s technical characteristics and the associated melodies. Urtiin Duu: Traditional Folk Long Song, an expression common to both Mongolia and China received this distinction in 2005.

Mongolia participated actively in drafting the six-volume History of Civilizations of Central Asia series.

This country is a closely involved in the project for Intercultural Dialogue in Central Asia. The International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations was created in Ulaanbaatar with the aid of UNESCO as part of the follow-up to the Silk Road project and organizes cultural exchanges, research and proposes publications.