At the meeting of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO on November 16, 2024, a report was presented by Ch. Babaniyazov, Minister of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, on the activities of the Working Group studying the potential inclusion of unique natural landmarks of the country in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The discussion particularly focused on the ancient mud volcanoes Akpatlavuk and Gokpatlavuk, located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, and Yangykala Canyon, which are considered natural monuments of global significance.
The colorful site of Yangykala, located in Balkan velayat approximately equidistant from Balkanabat and Turkmenbashi, is one of Turkmenistan's most astonishing natural attractions and a draw for both local and foreign tourists. Yangykala resembles a giant and impregnable fortress, with steep cliffs displaying an unusual combination of colors—white, yellow, red and purple—with red predominating. This is why Yangykala received its name, which translates from Turkmen as "fiery fortress." The rainbow-colored cliffs of this natural fortress, shaped over millennia by sea, wind and rain, have bizarre forms that create a sense of a fantastic landscape.
In some tourist guides and websites, Yangykala is also referred to as the "Grand Canyon of Central Asia," although some experts argue that the geology of this place has nothing in common with canyons or riverbed activity. The formation of steep shores results from processes in the Caspian Sea, whose coastline once included the surroundings of Yangykala. Waves and surf in the coastal zone eroded rock formations over a long period, creating these peculiar landforms.
Some natural monuments in Turkmenistan are already included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. The transnational serial natural site "Cold Winter Deserts of Turan" includes state nature reserves from our country such as "Bereketli Garagum," "Gaplaňgyr," the State Biosphere Reserve "Repetek," and the desert ecosystems of its sanctuary "Ýerajy."
