Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme

Project of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture

The Historic Cities Programme (HCP) of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) promotes the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities of the Muslim world. HCP undertakes the restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces in ways that can spur social, economic and cultural development. Individual projects go beyond technical restoration to address the questions of the social and environmental context, adaptive reuse, institutional sustainability and training. In several countries, local Aga Khan Cultural Service companies have been formed to implement projects under the supervision of the HCSP headquarters in Geneva.

Role of the HCP

The HCP works closely with all project stakeholders, including the community. The programme is able to provide planning assistance to government and local conservation bodies. It provides technical expertise and can help to secure funding and resources by defining opportunities and approaches, preparing feasibility studies, and shaping proposals for submission to local investors and international agencies.

It also participates in urban conservation and development efforts that focus on building clusters, public spaces between and around buildings, a district, or a historic town. These projects aim to restore and maintain the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of the designated area. The programme also engages in restoring specific historic sites and buildings that include elements of urban landscape or single structures, for which appropriate new functions are developed to meet the social and economic needs of the respective communities.

The programme is concerned with the long-term viability of its conservation projects and does support associated cultural initiatives in this regard. All enabling development factors – community support, innovative institutional structures, and commercial potential – are harnessed, whenever possible, to make conservation sustainable.

Funding sources

HCP plans and executes projects with funding from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and other donors. Institutions, such as the Getty Grant Program, World Monuments Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Swiss, Swedish and Norwegian bilateral aid organisations, and the World Bank have sponsored or co-funded HCSP activities. HCSP establishes local service companies as partners in implementation and prepares them for autonomous operation as self-sustaining community organisations.

Projects

The Historic Cities Programme has been involved in nearly twenty distinct revitalisation projects in Afghanistan, the Northern Areas of Pakistan, Zanzibar, Samarkand, Cairo, Mostar (Bosnia), Mali and Syria. In all project locations, community participation, training of local professionals and local institution-building are essential components.

Restoration of the Great Mosque of Mopti, Mali
Restoration of the gardens of Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India
Conservation of Forts in Hunza and Baltistan, Pakistan
Restoration and conservation of old neighbourhoods of Kabul, Afghanistan
Conservation of the sixteenth-century Bagh-e Babur (Babur's Gardens) in Kabul, Afghanistan
Repair and conservation of the late eighteenth-century mausoleum of Timur Shah in Kabul, Afghanistan
Conservation of structures and upgrading of infrastructure in the old city of Herat, Afghanistan
Repairs to the shrine complex of Khoja Abdullah Ansari, dating from the Timurid period in Gozargah, Afghanistan
Restoration of structures and conservation planning in Old Stone Town, Zanzibar
Creation of the 30 hectare Al-Azhar Park from a garbage dump in Cairo, Egypt
Preparation of a new master plan for the Timurid city in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Restoration of key monuments, historic buildings and open spaces in the old city of Mostar, Bosnia
Provision of technical assistance and training to the Directorate of Antiquities in Syria for the conservation and management of three major citadels in Aleppo, Masyaf and Qalat Salah ed-Din

Awards and recognition

2007 Time: The Best of Asia Awards – Best Historic Restoration awarded for the restoration of Bagh-e Babur (Babur's Gardens) in Kabul, Afghanistan.
2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation – Award of Excellence for the restoration of the Shigar Fort Palace in Skardu, Northern Pakistan
2006 PATA GOLD Award for Heritage and Culture awarded for the restoration and re-use of Shigar Fort Palace in Skardu, Northern Pakistan
2005 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Conservation Award of Merit for the conservation of Amburiq Mosque in Shigar, Baltistan, Pakistan
2005 Time Asia, Best of Asia Award for the Baltit Fort, Hunza Valley, Pakistan
2005 Travel + Leisure Global Vision Innovation Award for Al-Azhar Park in Cairo, Egypt
2004 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Conservation Archived May 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine – Award of Excellence Archived July 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine for the restoration of the 700-year-old Baltit Fort in Northern Pakistan
2003 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Conservation – Award of Distinction for the restoration of the 300-year-old mausoleum of Syed Mir Muhammad in Khaplu, Baltistan, Pakistan
2002 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Conservation – Award of Distinction for the restoration of four 300-year-old wooden mosques Archived December 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine in Pakistan's Hunza Valley
2000 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards: Global Winner – Karimabad and Baltit project development, Pakistan

References

"The Great Mosque of Mopti". projects.mcah.columbia.edu. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
^ "Heritage for the future | The Broker". www.thebrokeronline.eu. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
"The Revitalisation of the Gardens of Emperor Humayun's Tomb, Delhi, India" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2008.
"Conservation and Development in Hunza and Baltistan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2008.
Chandran, Rina (November 27, 2019). "Glories of old Kabul emerge from decades of war - and trash". Reuters. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
Chandran, Rina (November 18, 2019). "In war-ravaged Kabul, women throng parks for peace and picnics". Reuters. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
"Kabul's old city gets a new look (Published 2008)". The New York Times. February 1, 2008. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
"Old City of Herat". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
"Zanzibar Stone Town Projects" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2007.
"The Azhar Park Project in Cairo and the Conservation and Revitalisation of Darb al-Ahmar". Archived from the original on November 20, 2009.
"Conservation and Revitalisation of Historic Mostar" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 6, 2006.
"Shigar Fort Palace in Pakistan wins top prize in the 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards" (PDF). UNESCO Bangkok. September 1, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"Shigar Fort Awarded Top Prize in the 2006 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards". AKDN. September 1, 2006. Archived from the original on December 7, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"PATA Announces 2006 Gold Awards Winners". Archived from the original on September 24, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"Press Release: 2005 UNESCO Heritage Awards – UNESCO Bangkok, September 1, 2005" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 7, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
Baker, Aryn (April 7, 2005). "Best of Asia: Baltit Fort Hunza Valley, Pakistan". Time. Archived from the original on September 12, 2005. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"Innovation – T+L 2005 Global Vision Awards". Archived from the original on December 1, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"Baltit Fort Awarded Top Prize in the UNESCO 2004 Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards" (PDF). UNESCO Bangkok. September 1, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"Press Release: 2003 UNESCO Heritage Awards" (PDF). UNESCO Bangkok. August 25, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"2002 Heritage Awards Winning Entries" (PDF). UNESCO Bangkok. September 19, 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2006. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"BA Tourism for Tomorrow Previous Winners" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved December 11, 2006.
"Restoration of Landmark Buildings in Mountainous Northern Pakistan – AKDN". Archived from the original on December 6, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-11.

Sources

"Rescuing Cairo's Lost Heritage". Islamica Magazine. 2006. Archived from the original on October 26, 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-06.

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