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Aga
Khan Historic Cities Programme
The Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (HCP) promotes the conservation and re-use
of buildings and public spaces in historic cities in 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
project briefs go beyond mere technical restoration to address
the questions of the social and environmental context, adaptive
re-use, institutional sustainability and training. In several
countries, local Aga Khan Cultural Service Companies have
been formed to implement projects under the supervision
of the HCP headquarters in Geneva.
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| On
18 January 2008, Zanzibar’s
First Lady Madame Shadya Karume
and Prince Amyn Aga Khan took
part in a groundbreaking ceremony
for the revitalisation of Zanzibar’s
Forodhani Park. The US$2.2 million
restoration of this
World Heritage Site’s
largest open space is expected
to create 200 new jobs in its
construction phase and provide
a significant stimulus for the
local economy. |
News
Archive
Introduction
Projects
Funding
Sources
How
the Programme Works
Publications
Awards
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News
Archive
AKTC
Afghanistan Newsletter #11 (January/February 2008)
Aga
Khan Trust for Culture Starts US$2.2 million Revitalisation
of Forodhani Park in Zanzibar’s Historic Stone Town
(2008) and Forodhani
Park Project Brief (2008)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #10 (November/December 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #9 (September/October 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #8 (July/August 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #7 (May/June 2007)
Public-Private
Partnership for Revitalisation Projects in Historic Cairo,
Egypt, 17 July 2007
Spirit & Life, Exhibition of Rare Islamic Art and Manuscripts
from the Aga Khan Museum Collection, 14 July to 31 August,
at the The Ismaili Centre, London, United Kingdom Find
out more on Spirit & Life, Speech
by His Highness the Aga Khan, Speech
by HRH The Prince of Wales and Photographs
Public-Private
Partnership for Regeneration of Humayun’s Tomb-Nizamuddin
Basti-Sundar Nursery Area in Delhi, India, 11 July 2007
Urban
Conservation and Area Development in Afghanistan (Brochure),
June 2007
TIME
Magazine "Best of Asia" Award for Restoration
of Babur's Gardens in Kabul (May 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #6 (March-April 2007)
Sacred
Art and Music of the Muslim World in Parma, Italy (Press
Release and Photos), 30 March 2007
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #5 (January-February 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #4 (November-December 2006)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #3 (September-October 2006)
Shigar
Fort Restoration Receives 2006 UNESCO Award of Excellence,
1 September 2006
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #2 (August 2006)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #1 (July 2006)
Restoration
of Great Mosque of Mopti Completed, June 2006, Press Release
and Fin des travaux
de restauration de la Grande Mosquée de Mopti (Communiqué
de Presse)
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture
and the National Museum of Mali sign a Collaboration Agreement,
7 June 2006, Press Release in English and Le
Trust Aga Khan pour la culture et le Musée National du Mali
signent un accord de collaboration (Communiqué de
Presse)
Project
Brief: "Baltistan and Hunza: Conservation and Development
Projects"
Shigar
Fort Inauguration Postponed
Inauguration
of Azhar Park. See also Azhar
Park Progress Report and Press Materials
Resurgence
of Mostar's Historic City Centre; New Agency for Conservation
and Development to Build on Completed Projects (Press Release,
23 July 2004)
Introduction
As of 2006, the Historic Cities Programme had been involved in revitalisation
projects in eight quite different settings in the Islamic
World, i.e., Afghanistan, the Northern Areas of Pakistan,
Zanzibar, Samarkand, Cairo, Mostar (Bosnia), Mali and Syria,
including nearly twenty distinct but interconnected projects
that often are mutually reinforcing. Involvement in single
project locations or regions tends to expand in order to
constitute a critical mass for positive change--if the environment
is found to be responsive. In all project locations, community
participation, training of local professionals and local
institution-building are essential components.
Funding Sources
Typically,
HCP plans and executes projects with funding from the Aga
Khan Trust for Culture and other donors. Many other 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 HCP activities. Where necessary, HCP establishes
local service companies as partners in implementation and
prepares them for autonomous operation as self-sustaining
community organisations.
How the Programme Works
In
operational terms, HCP fits its role to the needs of each
project and community, and works in any combination of the
following capacities:
- Identifying
projects and providing planning assistance to government
and local bodies that have recognised conservation potentials.
HCP provides technical expertise, defines opportunities
and approaches, prepares feasibility studies, and shapes
proposals for submission to local investors or international
agencies, including the Trust itself.
- Planning
for conservation and appropriate redevelopment. HCP undertakes
urban conservation and development projects which may
include a cluster of buildings, public open spaces between
and around buildings, a district, or a complete plan for
a historic town. These efforts can move from study and
planning through funding and implementation with the help
of local institutions, governments, and other funding
partners. All such projects aim at restoring and maintaining
the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of a designated
area.
- Undertaking
selected conservation and restoration projects. HCP periodically
engages in restoring specific historic sites and buildings.
These may be 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.
- Engaging
in associated cultural initiatives in existing project
sites to support the long-term viability of conservation
projects. This is achieved through the re-animation of
historic structures in a context of ongoing social and
economic change, rather than as an isolated process. All
enabling development factors - community support, innovative
institutional structures, and commercial potential - are
harnessed, whenever possible, to make conservation sustainable.
Projects to Date
Mali
The
restoration of the Great Mosque of Mopti,
in Mali, was undertaken by the Trust between 2004 and 2006.
The Mosque, commonly called the Mosque of Komoguel, was
at risk of collapse. The first phase of the work focused
on repairing the roof and stabilising the upper part of
the building, which had been damaged by the inappropriate
use of cement in a previous restoration effort in 1978.
Since November 2004, local masons have been working under
the direction of the Trsut to remove the cement layer and
replace damaged areas with traditional mortar and bricks,
which are made by mixing earth with rice chaff.
For
more information, please see recent
news.
Afghanistan
In
Afghanistan, a range of conservation efforts, living conditions
improvements, community development programmes and neighbourhood
planning initiatives have been implemented in several neighbourhoods
of the war-damaged old city of Kabul.
Conservation
of the sixteenth century garden in Kabul where the first
Mughal Emperor Babur is buried also began in 2002 (it is
envisaged that the site will be jointly managed by Kabul
Municipality and the Trust starting in late 2006). Work
is also proceeding on an Action Plan to guide development
in the wider area around the 11-hectare garden. Following
the repair and conservation of the late 18th century mausoleum
of Timur Shah, work continues on reclaiming the public park
that surrounded this major landmark on the banks of the
Kabul river.
In the old city of Herat, the focus has
been on measures to safeguard the surviving historic fabric,
which is threatened by uncontrolled construction activity.
In parallel with thes efforts, since 2005 support has been
provided for the conservation of two cisterns, several community
mosques and private houses, as well as for upgrading of
the infrastructure in two quarters of the old city. Work
continues on repairs to the roofs in the important shrine
complex of Khoja Abdullah Ansari, dating from the Timurid
period, which is in Gozargah to the north-east of Herat.
For
more information, please see the publications below.
Associated
Press: "Piecing Kabul back together" -- Slideshow
accompanying story about AKTC's work in Kabul.
Urban
Conservation and Area Development in Afghanistan (Brochure),
June 2007
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #10 (November/December 2007
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #9 (September/October 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #8 (July/August 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #7 (May/June 2007)
TIME
Magazine "Best of Asia" Award for Restoration
of Babur's Gardens in Kabul (May 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #6 (March-April 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #5 (January-February 2007)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #4 (November-December 2006)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #3 (September-October 2006)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #2 (August 2006)
HCP
Afghanistan Newsletter #1 (July 2006)
India
The
restoration of the gardens of Humayun's Tomb in
Delhi was the first privately funded restoration
of a World Heritage Site in India. Completed in March 2003
through the joint efforts of the Trust and the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI), under the aegis of the National Culture
Fund, the objective of the project was to revitalise the
gardens, pathways, fountains and water channels of the chahâr-bâgh,
or four part paradise garden surrounding Humayun’s
Tomb, according to the original plans of the builders.
For
more information, please see The
Revitalisation of the Gardens of Emperor Humayun's Tomb,
Delhi, India (brief, 200 k PDF)
Pakistan
In the
Northern Areas of Pakistan, projects include
the restoration of several forts (such as Baltit
and Shigar) and other landmark buildings in conjunction
with rehabilitation of traditional settlements, as well
as promotion of traditional crafts and construction techniques.
Preserving local identity and at the same time introducing
contemporary living standards (including sanitation) is
the key to the ongoing cultural development process, which
is undertaken with the active involvement of the local population.
Environmental planning strategies to preserve specific assets
are now being implemented through new local institutions
such as Town Management Societies and Cultural Heritage
Trusts. These projects have won a number of awards, including
UNESCO World Heritage awards British
Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.
For
more information, please see the brochure: Conservation
and Development in Hunza and Baltistan (PDF, 4m)
Zanzibar
In Zanzibar, HCP has completed the restoration of the former "Old
Dispensary", the "Old Customs House" and
the conversion of the former Extelcom building, all empty
landmark buildings on the waterfront now being put to new
uses. In parallel, a conservation plan for the Old Stone
Town has been prepared in cooperation with the Stone Town
Conservation and Development Authority. A number of community-based
housing improvement projects are being carried out to demonstrate
the feasibility of traditional low-cost repair and maintenance
techniques. A new urban design plan and an economic strategy
are currently being prepared for the rehabilitation of the
complete historic waterfront as a significant civic open
space which, once enhanced, would spark further rehabilitation
efforts in the Old Stone Town.
For
more information, please see:
Egypt
 In
the old city of Cairo, activities started
with the reconversion of a vast barren site (a hilly rubble-dump
between the Fatimid city and the Mamluk cemetery) into a
30 hectare urban park with many visitors' facilities. This
major open space not only brings relief to the dense metropolitan
agglomeration, but has helped transform the image of the
adjacent old city and mobilise resources for its rehabilitation.
As part of the grading effort on the park slopes, 1.5 kilometres
of the formerly buried 12th century city wall
were brought to light and partly restored. Near the wall
and inside the district of Darb al-Ahmar, several mosques,
old palaces and historic houses are being restored in an
effort to revitalise the existing architectural heritage
and make it useful for the local community as well as visitors.
In conjunction with these physical upgrading and adaptive
re-use projects, a wide range of socio-economic initiatives
have been launched to provide residents with new opportunities,
including training, employment, micro-credits for small
enterprises, health centres, and women’s associations.
For
more information, please see Al-Azhar
Park.
Uzbekistan
In Samarkand, HCP has assisted the Municipality in preparing a
new master plan for the Timurid city, including urban design
proposals for the revitalis-ation of both the historic and
the modern city centre. In addition, a number of pilot projects
have been carried out in cooperation with local residents,
to demonstrate how the residential neighbourhoods can be
upgraded without need for wholesale demolition and inappropriate
redevelopment.
For
more information, please see Planning
for the Historic City of Samarkand.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
In Mostar (Bosnia), projects revolve around the historic neighbourhoods
adjacent to the famous Old Bridge and the restoration of
a number of key monuments destroyed during the civil war.
Within the framework of a complete master plan for the old
city, some key historic buildings and open spaces have been
restored in close cooperation with the local authorities
and residents, reclaiming the unique character of this multicultural
city.
For
more information, please see: Conservation
and Revitalisation of Historic Mostar (PDF, 3m)
Syria
In Syria, the Directorate of Antiquities requested HCP to provide
technical assistance and training for the conservation and
management of three major citadels in Aleppo, Masyaf and
Qalat Salah ed-Din. This ongoing work is now being complemented
by environmental studies aimed at managing and enhancing
the surroundings of the three Forts, two of them being located
within an urban context, and one in a pristine natural setting.
For
more information, please see A Brief Account of Project
Activities in Syria on the Publications
page.
Publications
For
a current list of publications please see the Trust's Publications
page.
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