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The Prince of Wales and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan launch Turquoise Mountain
25th June 2006
HRH The Prince of Wales and H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, are launching a new initiative to help to preserve some of Afghanistan’s rich architectural and cultural heritage for future generations.The project aims to conserve and restore a section of medieval Kabul in recognition of the vital role that heritage is likely to play in laying the foundations for future tourism. The traditional Islamic Cities of Kabul, Herat, Ghazni and Balkh, inhabited for thousands of years, have layers of Persian, Hellenic, Central Asian and Islamic architecture.
At the heart of the project will be the creation of a new training centre to teach traditional building skills such as tile-work, incised and lattice wood-work, masonry and plasterwork. In time, it is hoped that the School of Traditional Art and Craft would also offer training in other Afghan traditions, such as pottery, carpet-weaving and embroidery.
The project, to be known as “Turquoise Mountain Feroz-koh”, will begin with the restoration of a traditional building on public land in Kabul which will become the centre’s base and act as an exemplar of its work.
HRH The Prince of Wales said:
“Turquoise Mountain was the greatest indigenous Afghan capital of the middle ages, destroyed by Genghis Khan in 1216 and lost to history. I hope that this Turquoise Mountain will help to breathe new life into Afghanistan’s unique and incomparable art and architecture for this and future generations.
“In my view, a crucial part of the project will be to enable young Afghans to see these skills as living traditions and not merely as something to be consigned to museums and history books. Through the work of my School for Traditional Arts in London, I have seen what an inspiration it can be for young Muslims to have the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of, and pride in, this aspect of their great Islamic heritage.”
President Karzai said:
“I warmly welcome the Feroz-koh (Turquoise Mountain) initiative which will contribute to the preservation and further development of Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage.
“I thank HRH The Prince of Wales for his friendship. I commend him for choosing Kabul to be the home of a regional school of Islamic art, which I believe is a recognition of Afghanistan as a historical meeting place of diverse cultures and civilizations.
“I am confident that initiatives such as Turquoise Mountain Project will not only help Afghanistan rediscover and sustain its heritage, but will also contribute to greater understanding between Islam and other civilizations.”
UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said:
“Tradition and culture have key roles to play in any country, but especially in one with as rich a history as Afghanistan. I hope this school will offer young people an opportunity to develop skills which will restore and preserve the jewels of Afghanistan‘s past.”
Rory Stewart said:
“This is a unique opportunity to make a highly visible contribution to Afghanistan. The old city of Kabul is an important part of Afghanistan’s national heritage; there is a desperate need for skills training and Afghans are very keen for the project to succeed.”
Since the fall of the Taliban, many of Afghanistan’s traditional Islamic cities are faced with a huge growth in property development, sometimes at the expense of historic but poorer areas. It is this history that may be one of the country’s greatest assets in years to come if it is not lost.
Murad Khani, the area of Kabul selected, is a complex of 18th Century Merchant’s Houses, bath-houses and public buildings in the city centre beside the Kabul River. It is hoped that the School of Traditional Craft and Art will become a springboard for the regeneration of the surrounding area.