Building gardens conserving heritage
Luis Monreal, the director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, talks about the newly restored Sunder Nursery in Delhi and the trust’s other projects around the world
I meet Luis Monreal on 22 February, a day after the Sunder Nursery heritage garden in Delhi was inaugurated by vice-president Venkaiah Naidu and the Aga Khan. Dressed in a blue linen shirt, his shock of white hair neatly brushed back, the general manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), Geneva, cuts a contented figure amidst the bustle of the AKTC’s large Delhi office, just off the Sunder Nursery in Nizamuddin. Monreal is an internationally renowned historian, archaeologist and conservationist. He joined the AKTC in 2001, and, prior to that, he had curated the Marés Museum in Barcelona, served as the secretary general of the International Council of Museums, the director of the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, and the director general of La Caixa Foundation in Barcelona
More...
https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/RgF82F ... itage.html
AKTC Work in the world
A transformation that’s hard to believe
A wildly unbelievable transformation greets visitors who manage to get a sneak peek of the Qutb Shahi tombs complex near Golconda. On World Heritage Day celebrated on April 18, citizens can pay a sum as entry fee and see the change that is brought about, thanks to the five-year effort mounted by the Department of Archaeology and Museums and Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The centuries-old mausoleums, which had suffered due to indifferent upkeep and unscientific slap-dash maintenance, is a changed place now. The tombs may not gleam, but they have been restored to a state where they don’t leak nor appear to be falling apart.
More...
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyd ... 543390.ece
A wildly unbelievable transformation greets visitors who manage to get a sneak peek of the Qutb Shahi tombs complex near Golconda. On World Heritage Day celebrated on April 18, citizens can pay a sum as entry fee and see the change that is brought about, thanks to the five-year effort mounted by the Department of Archaeology and Museums and Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The centuries-old mausoleums, which had suffered due to indifferent upkeep and unscientific slap-dash maintenance, is a changed place now. The tombs may not gleam, but they have been restored to a state where they don’t leak nor appear to be falling apart.
More...
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyd ... 543390.ece
Restored Qutb Shahi Heritage Park in Hyderabad open to public
Excerpt:
"With around 100 crore from the AKTC we finished the first phase. It is important to highlight that this is the only place in the world where members of an entire dynasty sleep together. We are also looking to improve the rest of the facilities will also be improved. We also received a fund of around `80 crore from the Government of India and we plan to complete this by 2021," informed B Venkatesham, secretary, Heritage Telangana. In terms of preservation of these works, he said the onus is on the people as much as it is on them and they have to responsible and help preserve these sites.
More...
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/ ... 03508.html
Excerpt:
"With around 100 crore from the AKTC we finished the first phase. It is important to highlight that this is the only place in the world where members of an entire dynasty sleep together. We are also looking to improve the rest of the facilities will also be improved. We also received a fund of around `80 crore from the Government of India and we plan to complete this by 2021," informed B Venkatesham, secretary, Heritage Telangana. In terms of preservation of these works, he said the onus is on the people as much as it is on them and they have to responsible and help preserve these sites.
More...
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/ ... 03508.html
Restoration of Hakim’s tombs nears completion in Hyderabad
The parapet minarets of the tomb to the west have been placed as per original design, after painstaking work by master craftsmen from Rajasthan.
Hyderabad: The restoration of the tombs of Hakim’s at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, which began recently, with the work of intricate craftsmanship on the west tomb, is almost nearing its end.
On Monday, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) project manager Yoshowant Purohit told Telangana Today that the parapet minarets of the tomb to the west have been placed as per original design, after painstaking work by master craftsmen from Rajasthan. Restoration work on the mausoleums of the Hakim and Commander has been taken up with sponsorship from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany based in Chennai.
More...
https://telanganatoday.com/restoration- ... -hyderabad
The parapet minarets of the tomb to the west have been placed as per original design, after painstaking work by master craftsmen from Rajasthan.
Hyderabad: The restoration of the tombs of Hakim’s at the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, which began recently, with the work of intricate craftsmanship on the west tomb, is almost nearing its end.
On Monday, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) project manager Yoshowant Purohit told Telangana Today that the parapet minarets of the tomb to the west have been placed as per original design, after painstaking work by master craftsmen from Rajasthan. Restoration work on the mausoleums of the Hakim and Commander has been taken up with sponsorship from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany based in Chennai.
More...
https://telanganatoday.com/restoration- ... -hyderabad
Historic Baltit Fort Hunza In Gilgat Baltistan pakistan - Unique Information That you Must Listen.
Video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUU7vuypfew
Published on Nov 2, 2017
The baltit fort hunza is a Historical fort at the Hunza valley at Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
From the fort's bases date back with adjustments and alterations over time. From the 16th century that the neighborhood prince married a princess out of Baltistan who attracted master Balti craftsmen to revive the building as part of the dowry.
To a palace down the hill. The fort began to decay that triggered concern that it might fall into ruin. The programme has been completed in 1996 and the fort is now a museum.
Historical background of Baltit Fort
Previously several independent states made element of this History of the Northern Areas. One of them Nager and Hunza were rival states. The rulers of both of these nations ,Mirs called Thum, constructed various strongholds to combine their own power. According to historic sources, the Hunza rulers originally resided in neighboring Altit Fort, however following a battle between the two sons of their ruler Sultan, Shah Abbas and Ali Khan , Shaboos transferred to Baltit Fort, which makes it the capital chair of Hunza. The power battle between the two brothers led to the death of person that was younger, and so Baltit Fort became the seat of power from the Hunza state.
Ayasho II, of Hunza from the early fifteenth century Princess Shah Khatoon (Sha Qhatun) from Baltistan(at Moghul background Baltistan is named Tibet Khurd, meaning Little Tibet), also has been the first to alter the head of Altit and, then Baltit Fort. Baltistan had an extremely powerful cultural and ethnical relation together with all the Ladakh land to the east. Unsurprisingly, the arrangement of Baltit Fort has been affected by Ladakhi/Tibetan buildings, with some similarity to the Potala Palace at Lhasa. Then renovations, developments and changes to the building were being forced through the centuries with a line of rulers of Hunza.
House of many temples, Pakistan's Northern Areas dropped A number of its heritage round the 19th century because of strikes by the Maharaja of Kashmir. But, among the largest changes in the arrangement of the Baltit Fort came together with all the invasion of the British at December 1891. With the conquest of Hunza and Nager countries watch towers and the wall of the Baltit village and see towers of the Baltit Fort on its finish were demolished as demanded from the British.
Dance with music of Swati vacationers In Baltit Fort
Throughout his reign, several alterations were made by Nazeem Khan to He included a couple of rooms at the British style with color glass panel windows and wash and demolished a variety of chambers of floor. Eagle nest in hunza is also a beautiful place to visit. As far as hotels in hunza is concern they are also in large number. Weather in hunza is also quite moderate.
Baltit Fort color Glass Windows
When the Baltit Fort remained before 1945 Where the Mir of Hunza, '' Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan, and his loved ones are living ruler of Hunza moved into a palatial house further down the mountain.
With no authority Ravages of time and over the years its own construction weakened and started to deteriorate. The recovery undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Geneva in association took five years to finish. The project was endorsed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture since the Primary donor via its Historic Cities Support Programme, in Addition to from the Getty Grant Program (USA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation along with the French Authorities.
The Fort, resplendent in its glory that is imperial that is formal, was It maintained and is operated by the Baltit Heritage Trust and is open for people. The Baltit Fort functions as a great instance of culture maintained and restored for future generations.
Desert City by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tourism_Pk
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114838210...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TourismPakis...
********
Rejuvenating the Mughal recipes hidden in ‘Royal Kitchen’
The Royal Kitchen has now become a special part of the guided tour of the Lahore Fort
An astounding revelation of Royal Kitchen , commonly called Shahi Bawarchi Khana’, inside Lahore Fort has mesmerised many who are now visiting the fort. A no go area inside the fort has unexpectedly altered into a tourist spot but still many of us are unaware of the majesty of this part hidden inside the grand fort of Lahore.
This is the Royal Kitchen which was once the aromatic area filled with enticing cuisines cooked for the royals and aristocracy that resided or visited the Lahore Fort. You must be thinking where it is if you have visited the fort long ago. Well this kitchen is located behind Alamgiri Gate and as you climb up the royal ramp while entering the fort through British era gate, you will find it on your right. A narrow passage will lead you to this kitchen and as you enter there, you will be awe stunned with the beauty and its open courtyard. You will see a mesmerising structure now conserved aesthetically and carefully by the Walled City of Lahore Authority and Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
More...
https://dailytimes.com.pk/232024/rejuve ... l-kitchen/
Video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUU7vuypfew
Published on Nov 2, 2017
The baltit fort hunza is a Historical fort at the Hunza valley at Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
From the fort's bases date back with adjustments and alterations over time. From the 16th century that the neighborhood prince married a princess out of Baltistan who attracted master Balti craftsmen to revive the building as part of the dowry.
To a palace down the hill. The fort began to decay that triggered concern that it might fall into ruin. The programme has been completed in 1996 and the fort is now a museum.
Historical background of Baltit Fort
Previously several independent states made element of this History of the Northern Areas. One of them Nager and Hunza were rival states. The rulers of both of these nations ,Mirs called Thum, constructed various strongholds to combine their own power. According to historic sources, the Hunza rulers originally resided in neighboring Altit Fort, however following a battle between the two sons of their ruler Sultan, Shah Abbas and Ali Khan , Shaboos transferred to Baltit Fort, which makes it the capital chair of Hunza. The power battle between the two brothers led to the death of person that was younger, and so Baltit Fort became the seat of power from the Hunza state.
Ayasho II, of Hunza from the early fifteenth century Princess Shah Khatoon (Sha Qhatun) from Baltistan(at Moghul background Baltistan is named Tibet Khurd, meaning Little Tibet), also has been the first to alter the head of Altit and, then Baltit Fort. Baltistan had an extremely powerful cultural and ethnical relation together with all the Ladakh land to the east. Unsurprisingly, the arrangement of Baltit Fort has been affected by Ladakhi/Tibetan buildings, with some similarity to the Potala Palace at Lhasa. Then renovations, developments and changes to the building were being forced through the centuries with a line of rulers of Hunza.
House of many temples, Pakistan's Northern Areas dropped A number of its heritage round the 19th century because of strikes by the Maharaja of Kashmir. But, among the largest changes in the arrangement of the Baltit Fort came together with all the invasion of the British at December 1891. With the conquest of Hunza and Nager countries watch towers and the wall of the Baltit village and see towers of the Baltit Fort on its finish were demolished as demanded from the British.
Dance with music of Swati vacationers In Baltit Fort
Throughout his reign, several alterations were made by Nazeem Khan to He included a couple of rooms at the British style with color glass panel windows and wash and demolished a variety of chambers of floor. Eagle nest in hunza is also a beautiful place to visit. As far as hotels in hunza is concern they are also in large number. Weather in hunza is also quite moderate.
Baltit Fort color Glass Windows
When the Baltit Fort remained before 1945 Where the Mir of Hunza, '' Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan, and his loved ones are living ruler of Hunza moved into a palatial house further down the mountain.
With no authority Ravages of time and over the years its own construction weakened and started to deteriorate. The recovery undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Geneva in association took five years to finish. The project was endorsed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture since the Primary donor via its Historic Cities Support Programme, in Addition to from the Getty Grant Program (USA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation along with the French Authorities.
The Fort, resplendent in its glory that is imperial that is formal, was It maintained and is operated by the Baltit Heritage Trust and is open for people. The Baltit Fort functions as a great instance of culture maintained and restored for future generations.
Desert City by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Tourism_Pk
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114838210...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TourismPakis...
********
Rejuvenating the Mughal recipes hidden in ‘Royal Kitchen’
The Royal Kitchen has now become a special part of the guided tour of the Lahore Fort
An astounding revelation of Royal Kitchen , commonly called Shahi Bawarchi Khana’, inside Lahore Fort has mesmerised many who are now visiting the fort. A no go area inside the fort has unexpectedly altered into a tourist spot but still many of us are unaware of the majesty of this part hidden inside the grand fort of Lahore.
This is the Royal Kitchen which was once the aromatic area filled with enticing cuisines cooked for the royals and aristocracy that resided or visited the Lahore Fort. You must be thinking where it is if you have visited the fort long ago. Well this kitchen is located behind Alamgiri Gate and as you climb up the royal ramp while entering the fort through British era gate, you will find it on your right. A narrow passage will lead you to this kitchen and as you enter there, you will be awe stunned with the beauty and its open courtyard. You will see a mesmerising structure now conserved aesthetically and carefully by the Walled City of Lahore Authority and Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
More...
https://dailytimes.com.pk/232024/rejuve ... l-kitchen/
Chowk Wazir Khan — the revival of a 17th century wonder
You all must be familiar with the jewel of Lahore, the Wazir Khan Mosque, but have you ever noticed the beauty of its outer quad, the chowk? ‘Chowk’ is a local language word and it is translated as a market area, a courtyard, a road junction or a roundabout where some streets meet. Chowk was an important feature during the town planning by the Mughals and usually the mosques of Mughal era had a chowk. From Delhi Gate Lahore, taking the road to the Royal Trail and then the straight passage passing through the colorful bazaar will lead you to this chowk across Chitta Gate. A giant mosque with sky touching minarets will appear before you with a huge quad outside it, the chowk. Do you think it was the same two years ago?
More...
https://dailytimes.com.pk/224217/chowk- ... ry-wonder/
You all must be familiar with the jewel of Lahore, the Wazir Khan Mosque, but have you ever noticed the beauty of its outer quad, the chowk? ‘Chowk’ is a local language word and it is translated as a market area, a courtyard, a road junction or a roundabout where some streets meet. Chowk was an important feature during the town planning by the Mughals and usually the mosques of Mughal era had a chowk. From Delhi Gate Lahore, taking the road to the Royal Trail and then the straight passage passing through the colorful bazaar will lead you to this chowk across Chitta Gate. A giant mosque with sky touching minarets will appear before you with a huge quad outside it, the chowk. Do you think it was the same two years ago?
More...
https://dailytimes.com.pk/224217/chowk- ... ry-wonder/
Mughal-era Arab ki Sarai gateway restored to its old glory in Delhi
According to Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) listing of ancient structures in Delhi, Arab Sarai was built in 1560 by Hamida Banu Begum, who was chief consort of Mughal emperor Humayan, to accommodate 300 Arabs she had brought back from Mecca.
The lofty eastern gateway of a walled enclosure built in the 17th century — which was originally a market built during Jahangir’s reign along side Arab ki Sarai, Nizamuddin East — has been restored to its old glory.
The restorer, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), began restoration work in January 2017.
The 13 metre-high, five-arched gateway, topped with battlements is two-bay deep. It also has chambers and a domed roof flanked by niches on both sides. The spandrels are ornamented with detailed tile work and medallions bearing Quranic inscriptions.
“This gateway, which leads to a bazaar attached to the sarai, is one of the rare structures in Delhi with inscriptions. Restoration of missing incised plasterwork has been completed. The concrete cement terrace flooring has also been carefully removed and replaced with traditional lime concrete terracing with appropriate slopes and water outlets,” said Rajpal Singh, chief engineer at AKTC.
More....
https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-ne ... ALciL.html
According to Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) listing of ancient structures in Delhi, Arab Sarai was built in 1560 by Hamida Banu Begum, who was chief consort of Mughal emperor Humayan, to accommodate 300 Arabs she had brought back from Mecca.
The lofty eastern gateway of a walled enclosure built in the 17th century — which was originally a market built during Jahangir’s reign along side Arab ki Sarai, Nizamuddin East — has been restored to its old glory.
The restorer, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), began restoration work in January 2017.
The 13 metre-high, five-arched gateway, topped with battlements is two-bay deep. It also has chambers and a domed roof flanked by niches on both sides. The spandrels are ornamented with detailed tile work and medallions bearing Quranic inscriptions.
“This gateway, which leads to a bazaar attached to the sarai, is one of the rare structures in Delhi with inscriptions. Restoration of missing incised plasterwork has been completed. The concrete cement terrace flooring has also been carefully removed and replaced with traditional lime concrete terracing with appropriate slopes and water outlets,” said Rajpal Singh, chief engineer at AKTC.
More....
https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-ne ... ALciL.html
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/513 ... que-signed
MoU to renovate Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque signed
By: Egypt Today staff
Fri, Jun. 1, 2018
CAIRO – 1 June 2018: Ministry of Antiquities and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding to renovate the mosque of Altinbugha al-Maridani and develop the Islamic tourist destinations at Darb Al Ahmar district.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri and CEO Aga Khan Company Sherif Erian signed the memorandum of understanding, which comes within the framework of the ministry’s plan to develop and renovate Cairo’s antiquities.
The signing was attended by the Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Anani and leaders of AKTC.
In the same context, Erian expressed his pleasure in signing the memorandum for his company’s interest in Islamic antiquities and heritage in the world, referring that Darb Al Ahmar district is full of Islamic antiquities that need renovation and financial support.
Additionally, Supervisor General of the Historic Cairo Development Project Mohamed Abdel Aziz referred that the renovation project is funded by the European Union and Aga Khan Company under the program “Cultural Heritage for Social and Economic Development”, which aims to rehabilitate Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque, activate cultural landmarks and craft centers at Darb Al Ahmer district to provide job opportunities and revenue-producing activities for residents.
He added that the first phase of the renovation at Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque include the construction and architectural studies of the mosque, architectural and logistic documentation of the mosque, renovation of the mosque’s Qiblahs (the direction that Muslims should face while praying) and minarets.
The Mamluk mosque of Altinbugha al-Maridani, located at Darb Al Ahmar district where many Mamluk complexes crowd one next to another, was constructed in 1338/1339 by Amir Altinbugha al-Maridani, one of the Mamluks of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad.
The mosque is built with both hypostyle and arcaded halls plans, similar to the sultan's mosque in the Citadel, with a dome above the mihrab and three axial entrances.
MoU to renovate Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque signed
By: Egypt Today staff
Fri, Jun. 1, 2018
CAIRO – 1 June 2018: Ministry of Antiquities and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding to renovate the mosque of Altinbugha al-Maridani and develop the Islamic tourist destinations at Darb Al Ahmar district.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri and CEO Aga Khan Company Sherif Erian signed the memorandum of understanding, which comes within the framework of the ministry’s plan to develop and renovate Cairo’s antiquities.
The signing was attended by the Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Anani and leaders of AKTC.
In the same context, Erian expressed his pleasure in signing the memorandum for his company’s interest in Islamic antiquities and heritage in the world, referring that Darb Al Ahmar district is full of Islamic antiquities that need renovation and financial support.
Additionally, Supervisor General of the Historic Cairo Development Project Mohamed Abdel Aziz referred that the renovation project is funded by the European Union and Aga Khan Company under the program “Cultural Heritage for Social and Economic Development”, which aims to rehabilitate Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque, activate cultural landmarks and craft centers at Darb Al Ahmer district to provide job opportunities and revenue-producing activities for residents.
He added that the first phase of the renovation at Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque include the construction and architectural studies of the mosque, architectural and logistic documentation of the mosque, renovation of the mosque’s Qiblahs (the direction that Muslims should face while praying) and minarets.
The Mamluk mosque of Altinbugha al-Maridani, located at Darb Al Ahmar district where many Mamluk complexes crowd one next to another, was constructed in 1338/1339 by Amir Altinbugha al-Maridani, one of the Mamluks of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad.
The mosque is built with both hypostyle and arcaded halls plans, similar to the sultan's mosque in the Citadel, with a dome above the mihrab and three axial entrances.
Conservation is about reviving a monument & helping the community
Interview: Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
http://www.mydigitalfc.com/fc-weekend/c ... -community
*******
MoU to renovate Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque signed
CAIRO – Ministry of Antiquities and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding to renovate the mosque of Altinbugha al-Maridani and develop the Islamic tourist destinations at Darb Al Ahmar district.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri and CEO Aga Khan Company Sherif Erian signed the memorandum of understanding, which comes within the framework of the ministry’s plan to develop and renovate Cairo’s antiquities.
The signing was attended by the Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Anani and leaders of AKTC.
In the same context, Erian expressed his pleasure in signing the memorandum for his company’s interest in Islamic antiquities and heritage in the world, referring that Darb Al Ahmar district is full of Islamic antiquities that need renovation and financial support.
More..
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/513 ... que-signed
Interview: Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
http://www.mydigitalfc.com/fc-weekend/c ... -community
*******
MoU to renovate Altinbugha al-Maridani mosque signed
CAIRO – Ministry of Antiquities and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) signed on Thursday a memorandum of understanding to renovate the mosque of Altinbugha al-Maridani and develop the Islamic tourist destinations at Darb Al Ahmar district.
Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri and CEO Aga Khan Company Sherif Erian signed the memorandum of understanding, which comes within the framework of the ministry’s plan to develop and renovate Cairo’s antiquities.
The signing was attended by the Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Anani and leaders of AKTC.
In the same context, Erian expressed his pleasure in signing the memorandum for his company’s interest in Islamic antiquities and heritage in the world, referring that Darb Al Ahmar district is full of Islamic antiquities that need renovation and financial support.
More..
http://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/513 ... que-signed
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyd ... 073700.ece
A race to save Hyderabad’s Ashoorkhana
Serish Nanisetti
Hyderabad, June 03, 2018 22:41 IST
Telangana government and Aga Khan Trust are working to restore the monument ahead of rains
It is a race against the monsoon as Hyderabad’s 17th century Badshahi Ashoorkhana, famed for its resplendent tile work, is restored to its original finery.
The sprawling structure, which turns into a house of mourning during Muharram, is located in a narrow bylane of the old city. On Sunday, workers were busy plastering a high wall with brownish lime mortar in the blistering sun, using the cover of a blue tarpaulin. .
On another side of the wall where the restoration is taking place, framed by an arched entrance, is the 400-year old Ashoorkhana. It was built sometime in 1611 by Hyderabad’s founder, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.
“We are consolidating the structure before the monsoon sets in. The documentation is also being done in parallel. Once that is over, we will decide on a conservation plan. The tile work has very fine detailing. At some points, the tiles have been painted over. This will require painstaking documentation,” says N. R. Visalatchy of the Telangana Department of Archaeology and Museums.
The documentation is being done by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with which the State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding. “We have to do the work before the monsoon, because there are points from which seepage might occur and that will affect the tiles,” says Prashant Banerjee of AKTC. The restoration is a challenge, because materials must be moved through a narrow lane.
Heritage recovered
The restorers are using a lime mortar mix for plastering, but that is not their only weapon. “Pulped and cured wood apple is injected into the gaps. It works like a silicone sealant that expands and contracts without letting the water in. Concrete sealants become rigid, and seepage happens,” says Mr. Banerjee.
The Ashoorkhana, turns into a pilgrimage site when alams (battle standards) are installed to commemorate the battle of Karbala in 680 A.D. Ashoora or 10th day of Muharram is when the battle took place. The monument was lost for several decades when Emperor Aurangzeb’s forces turned it into a bandikhana to keep wheeled vehicles. Much later, the September 1908 floods caused havoc, washing away some tiles. In a shocking turn of events, it was turned into a garage and parking space at one time. A legal battle waged by the Moosavi family made the monument accessible again, and conservation moves followed the eviction of squatters.
The Hindu
A race to save Hyderabad’s Ashoorkhana
Serish Nanisetti
Hyderabad, June 03, 2018 22:41 IST
Telangana government and Aga Khan Trust are working to restore the monument ahead of rains
It is a race against the monsoon as Hyderabad’s 17th century Badshahi Ashoorkhana, famed for its resplendent tile work, is restored to its original finery.
The sprawling structure, which turns into a house of mourning during Muharram, is located in a narrow bylane of the old city. On Sunday, workers were busy plastering a high wall with brownish lime mortar in the blistering sun, using the cover of a blue tarpaulin. .
On another side of the wall where the restoration is taking place, framed by an arched entrance, is the 400-year old Ashoorkhana. It was built sometime in 1611 by Hyderabad’s founder, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.
“We are consolidating the structure before the monsoon sets in. The documentation is also being done in parallel. Once that is over, we will decide on a conservation plan. The tile work has very fine detailing. At some points, the tiles have been painted over. This will require painstaking documentation,” says N. R. Visalatchy of the Telangana Department of Archaeology and Museums.
The documentation is being done by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with which the State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding. “We have to do the work before the monsoon, because there are points from which seepage might occur and that will affect the tiles,” says Prashant Banerjee of AKTC. The restoration is a challenge, because materials must be moved through a narrow lane.
Heritage recovered
The restorers are using a lime mortar mix for plastering, but that is not their only weapon. “Pulped and cured wood apple is injected into the gaps. It works like a silicone sealant that expands and contracts without letting the water in. Concrete sealants become rigid, and seepage happens,” says Mr. Banerjee.
The Ashoorkhana, turns into a pilgrimage site when alams (battle standards) are installed to commemorate the battle of Karbala in 680 A.D. Ashoora or 10th day of Muharram is when the battle took place. The monument was lost for several decades when Emperor Aurangzeb’s forces turned it into a bandikhana to keep wheeled vehicles. Much later, the September 1908 floods caused havoc, washing away some tiles. In a shocking turn of events, it was turned into a garage and parking space at one time. A legal battle waged by the Moosavi family made the monument accessible again, and conservation moves followed the eviction of squatters.
The Hindu
Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti A Cultural Revival
Published on Jun 8, 2018
The Trust has shown how culture can be a catalyst for development. The Trust’s support to historic communities demonstrates how conservation and revitalization of the cultural heritage - in many cases the only asset at the disposal of the community - can provide a springboard for social development.
- His Highness The Aga Khan
Following the vision of His Highness The Aga Khan, since 2007, the AKDN-led Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative has been undertaking various initiatives to revitalize the historical city centre of Hazrat Nizamuddin Area.
Produced by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with the support from Norwegian Minstry of Foreign Affairs, the film showcases how the Nizamudidn Urban Renewal Initiative harnessed the cultural assets of Nizamuddin Basti to improve the quality of life of the residents, and demonstrate how a historic city center can be re-vitalized.
Produced by: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
Supported by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8373bb_vfs
Published on Jun 8, 2018
The Trust has shown how culture can be a catalyst for development. The Trust’s support to historic communities demonstrates how conservation and revitalization of the cultural heritage - in many cases the only asset at the disposal of the community - can provide a springboard for social development.
- His Highness The Aga Khan
Following the vision of His Highness The Aga Khan, since 2007, the AKDN-led Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative has been undertaking various initiatives to revitalize the historical city centre of Hazrat Nizamuddin Area.
Produced by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with the support from Norwegian Minstry of Foreign Affairs, the film showcases how the Nizamudidn Urban Renewal Initiative harnessed the cultural assets of Nizamuddin Basti to improve the quality of life of the residents, and demonstrate how a historic city center can be re-vitalized.
Produced by: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
Supported by: Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8373bb_vfs
https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/ismai ... enaissance
reviews, news & interviews
Ismaili a Go-Go: How the Aga Khan funded a music renaissance
Musical extravaganza focusing on enigmatic Central Asia comes to the Royal Albert Hall
by Peter CulshawTuesday, 19 June 2018
Jay Blakesberg, master Uzbek musician
Many of us recognise that rather striking modernist building in Cromwell Gardens near South Kensington tube, having seen it on the way to the V&A or perhaps a Prom at the Albert Hall but not been sure what it is exactly. I hadn't actually been inside until last week when I was given a guided tour. The space was discussed at one point as a potential site for the National Theatre. It’s actually the Ismaili Centre, the first of six throughout the world (pictured below, the latest in Toronto) and was built by the Casson Cander Partnership and opened (by Margaret Thatcher and the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, the Aga Khan) in 1985.
The design has stood up well, and its mix of sleek modern lines and the sacred geometry of Islam says a lot about the Ismailis themselves, adeptly mixing tradition and modernity as they do. The space is primarily a religious and community centre, but has numerous exhibits, talks and concerts that are open to the general public.
The Ismailis are, it is fair to say, a more tolerant branch of Islam than the more head-banging fundamentalists that so often feature in the media. I became interested in them in particular on a trip a few years ago to Central Asia, an area where there are a lot of Ismailis, and the Aga Khan’s Development Network with its Music Initiative was doing some of the most impressive work in developing and sustaining music in the region. They support older musicians and pay them to teach younger ones, and have put on tours to showcase different musical forms from this most enigmatic place.
Ismaili a Go-Go: How the Aga Khan funded a music renaissanceCentral Asia is huge – Kazakhstan on its own is bigger than Western Europe and the ninth largest country in the world – and the culture of the Stans is almost entirely unknown outside the vast steppes. The fast-changing region is also arguably a key to how large chunks of the world may develop: there are the forces of oligarchy and despotism – and those struggling for democracy opposing them – as well as thrusting capitalism, all within an Islamic framework.
The first group I met in Central Asia were some hours north of Bishkek, the surprisingly cosmopolitan capital of Kyrgyzstan. The group's leader, Nurlanbek Nyashanov, described his group Tengir-Too as "a new ensemble that plays old music" and indeed this is music that is hundreds of years old, rhythmically sophisticated with an appealing countryish twang. It's played on rare instruments such as the three-stringed komuz or the archaic qyl qiyak, which is made of horsehair and apricot wood. Some musicologists believe it to be the forerunner of the European violin.
Such instruments are easily portable and it is likely that a version of this music was once played at the court of Genghis Khan after a hard day's conquering and pillaging (although someone tried to convince me that Genghis Khan had got a bad press and wasn't nearly as bad as he has been portrayed). Anyway, Tengir-Too are the closest thing anyone is ever likely to hear to Genghis's house band, and “what could be more rock'n'roll than that?” Tengir-Too were one of the groups that played a memorable Concert at the Coliseum in 2004. The cultural influence of communism and the former Soviet Union was not entirely bad – the large choirs in places like Bulgaria (made famous on the unlikely bestseller Les Mystères Des Voix Bulgares) were Soviet concoctions, disciplining raw folk music in a thrilling and beguiling way.
But the Soviets distrusted Islamic or shamanistic cultures and suppressed much of the indigenous music of this part of the world. The Aga Khan’s Development Network has sprung into action to help out with the ongoing post-Soviet economic and humanitarian crisis. Their considerable resources, with funds from ordinary Ismailis, have helped to fund the new University of Central Asia, its campus spread over three remote sites in Tajikistan, Krygyzstan and Kazakhstan. The Music Initiative is a branch of their activities, seeing culture and music as an essential part of development.
He dug out a cassette tape of a mugam singer, recorded nearly a century ago. The sheer passion of the music broke through the veils of time
Musicians who kept traditions alive in secret in the Soviet era have been beneficiaries of the Aga Khan’s Music Initiative, such as Alim Qasimov from Azerbaijan. When I met him at his charming but modest flat in downtown Baku, he dug out a cassette tape of a mugam singer, Mashadi Fazzaliyev, recorded nearly a century ago. The sheer passion of the music broke through the veils of time and poor recording quality. Qasimov said that one day he hoped to emulate the power of the music we heard. In a sense, the Soviet occupation caused a break in a tradition to which he is intuitively reconnecting himself.
One of the most important older forms is the shashmaqam, which I caught in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, music of great refinement and profound beauty. This was tolerated to some extent by the Soviets, but only as a kind of "frozen" conservatory music, shed of any its more ecstatic elements. At the Academy of Shashmaqam in Dushanbe, musicians are now trying to rediscover the vitality of the music and more authentic, older performance styles. The ethnomusicologist Theodore Levin, author of A Hundred Thousand Fools of God, the definitive introduction to Central Asian music, was moved to tears by a performance we witnessed there. One of the striking things about this music is how surprisingly accessible it is to Western ears, compared to, say, Indian or Chinese music.
Fairouz Nishanova, a director of the Aga Khan Trust, organised this trip. Nishanova's mother is the princess of a local principality and her father was a top Soviet politician; her connections proved invaluable, particularly when the Kygyrz military police tried to arrest me because I didn't have a visa to enter this small, mountainous country. We flew back to Kyrgyzstan to stay in a sanatorium once favoured by Communist Party bigwigs on the shores of the vast lake of Issyk-Kul. Perhaps the most impressive artistic achievement of Central Asia is the Manas epic, which recounts the exploits of the hero Manas as he battles foes and reunites the Kyrgyz clans. The epic remains popular today – I saw a plastic cola bottle with a picture of Britney Spears dressed in traditional Manas warrior queen gear.
Soviet scholars transcribed this oral epic, which has more than 500,000 lines of verse (by comparison, the Indian Mahabharata comprises 200,000 lines, the Iliad around 13,000). But when we meet the self-styled shaman Rysbek Jumabaev, he is dismissive of those who have learnt the work this way – he "received the Manas in a series of seven dreams". We heard him perform parts of the Manas in the stunning setting of the Kochkor plateau, considered a sacred site from before the time of Genghis Khan. As thunder rolled in the distance, Jumabaev contacted the spirits and then began an extraordinary performance, entering a trance-like state as he sang.
Aga Khan Music Initiative-Sebastian Schutyser (3)_preview_0_0Since my trip, the Aga Khan Music Initiative has widened its horizons (including to West Africa) and it will be possible to to see a truly dazzling array of musicians this Wednesday at the Royal Albert Hall, just up the road from the Ismaili Centre. The concert is to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Aga Khan’s leadership of the Ismailis.
Among the stars are Homayoun Sakhi, an innovative performer of the rubab from Afghanistan; Wu Man, virtuoso on the pipa, a four-stringed lute that has been part of Chinese culture for 2,000 years; Sirojiddin Juraev, from northern Tajikstan; Basel Rajoub, saxophonist and composer-improviser from Syria; Saler Nader, virtuoso tabla player; Feras Charestan, a highly accomplished and innovative player of the qanun, a Middle Eastern zither; Andrea Piccioni, a master percussionist; and Abbos Kosimov, from a famous musical family in Uzbekistan. Probably the best known artists to Western audiences are Bassekou Kouyaté from Mali and the ever-adventurous Kronos Quartet, ageing enfant terribles of the classical world who have recorded with some of the best known Central Asian and West African artists.
At the least the concert and the ongoing work of the Music Initiative ensure that the music of this little-known region is preserved and developed for future generations, and that the wider world has a welcome chance to hear it.
Jubilee at the Royal Albert Hall, 8pm Wednesday 20 June 2018
As part of the celebrations for his Jubilee, the Aga Khan will be visiting the UK this month and will inaugurate the Aga Khan Centre in London’s Knowledge Quarter, Kings Cross
@PeterCulshaw
reviews, news & interviews
Ismaili a Go-Go: How the Aga Khan funded a music renaissance
Musical extravaganza focusing on enigmatic Central Asia comes to the Royal Albert Hall
by Peter CulshawTuesday, 19 June 2018
Jay Blakesberg, master Uzbek musician
Many of us recognise that rather striking modernist building in Cromwell Gardens near South Kensington tube, having seen it on the way to the V&A or perhaps a Prom at the Albert Hall but not been sure what it is exactly. I hadn't actually been inside until last week when I was given a guided tour. The space was discussed at one point as a potential site for the National Theatre. It’s actually the Ismaili Centre, the first of six throughout the world (pictured below, the latest in Toronto) and was built by the Casson Cander Partnership and opened (by Margaret Thatcher and the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, the Aga Khan) in 1985.
The design has stood up well, and its mix of sleek modern lines and the sacred geometry of Islam says a lot about the Ismailis themselves, adeptly mixing tradition and modernity as they do. The space is primarily a religious and community centre, but has numerous exhibits, talks and concerts that are open to the general public.
The Ismailis are, it is fair to say, a more tolerant branch of Islam than the more head-banging fundamentalists that so often feature in the media. I became interested in them in particular on a trip a few years ago to Central Asia, an area where there are a lot of Ismailis, and the Aga Khan’s Development Network with its Music Initiative was doing some of the most impressive work in developing and sustaining music in the region. They support older musicians and pay them to teach younger ones, and have put on tours to showcase different musical forms from this most enigmatic place.
Ismaili a Go-Go: How the Aga Khan funded a music renaissanceCentral Asia is huge – Kazakhstan on its own is bigger than Western Europe and the ninth largest country in the world – and the culture of the Stans is almost entirely unknown outside the vast steppes. The fast-changing region is also arguably a key to how large chunks of the world may develop: there are the forces of oligarchy and despotism – and those struggling for democracy opposing them – as well as thrusting capitalism, all within an Islamic framework.
The first group I met in Central Asia were some hours north of Bishkek, the surprisingly cosmopolitan capital of Kyrgyzstan. The group's leader, Nurlanbek Nyashanov, described his group Tengir-Too as "a new ensemble that plays old music" and indeed this is music that is hundreds of years old, rhythmically sophisticated with an appealing countryish twang. It's played on rare instruments such as the three-stringed komuz or the archaic qyl qiyak, which is made of horsehair and apricot wood. Some musicologists believe it to be the forerunner of the European violin.
Such instruments are easily portable and it is likely that a version of this music was once played at the court of Genghis Khan after a hard day's conquering and pillaging (although someone tried to convince me that Genghis Khan had got a bad press and wasn't nearly as bad as he has been portrayed). Anyway, Tengir-Too are the closest thing anyone is ever likely to hear to Genghis's house band, and “what could be more rock'n'roll than that?” Tengir-Too were one of the groups that played a memorable Concert at the Coliseum in 2004. The cultural influence of communism and the former Soviet Union was not entirely bad – the large choirs in places like Bulgaria (made famous on the unlikely bestseller Les Mystères Des Voix Bulgares) were Soviet concoctions, disciplining raw folk music in a thrilling and beguiling way.
But the Soviets distrusted Islamic or shamanistic cultures and suppressed much of the indigenous music of this part of the world. The Aga Khan’s Development Network has sprung into action to help out with the ongoing post-Soviet economic and humanitarian crisis. Their considerable resources, with funds from ordinary Ismailis, have helped to fund the new University of Central Asia, its campus spread over three remote sites in Tajikistan, Krygyzstan and Kazakhstan. The Music Initiative is a branch of their activities, seeing culture and music as an essential part of development.
He dug out a cassette tape of a mugam singer, recorded nearly a century ago. The sheer passion of the music broke through the veils of time
Musicians who kept traditions alive in secret in the Soviet era have been beneficiaries of the Aga Khan’s Music Initiative, such as Alim Qasimov from Azerbaijan. When I met him at his charming but modest flat in downtown Baku, he dug out a cassette tape of a mugam singer, Mashadi Fazzaliyev, recorded nearly a century ago. The sheer passion of the music broke through the veils of time and poor recording quality. Qasimov said that one day he hoped to emulate the power of the music we heard. In a sense, the Soviet occupation caused a break in a tradition to which he is intuitively reconnecting himself.
One of the most important older forms is the shashmaqam, which I caught in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, music of great refinement and profound beauty. This was tolerated to some extent by the Soviets, but only as a kind of "frozen" conservatory music, shed of any its more ecstatic elements. At the Academy of Shashmaqam in Dushanbe, musicians are now trying to rediscover the vitality of the music and more authentic, older performance styles. The ethnomusicologist Theodore Levin, author of A Hundred Thousand Fools of God, the definitive introduction to Central Asian music, was moved to tears by a performance we witnessed there. One of the striking things about this music is how surprisingly accessible it is to Western ears, compared to, say, Indian or Chinese music.
Fairouz Nishanova, a director of the Aga Khan Trust, organised this trip. Nishanova's mother is the princess of a local principality and her father was a top Soviet politician; her connections proved invaluable, particularly when the Kygyrz military police tried to arrest me because I didn't have a visa to enter this small, mountainous country. We flew back to Kyrgyzstan to stay in a sanatorium once favoured by Communist Party bigwigs on the shores of the vast lake of Issyk-Kul. Perhaps the most impressive artistic achievement of Central Asia is the Manas epic, which recounts the exploits of the hero Manas as he battles foes and reunites the Kyrgyz clans. The epic remains popular today – I saw a plastic cola bottle with a picture of Britney Spears dressed in traditional Manas warrior queen gear.
Soviet scholars transcribed this oral epic, which has more than 500,000 lines of verse (by comparison, the Indian Mahabharata comprises 200,000 lines, the Iliad around 13,000). But when we meet the self-styled shaman Rysbek Jumabaev, he is dismissive of those who have learnt the work this way – he "received the Manas in a series of seven dreams". We heard him perform parts of the Manas in the stunning setting of the Kochkor plateau, considered a sacred site from before the time of Genghis Khan. As thunder rolled in the distance, Jumabaev contacted the spirits and then began an extraordinary performance, entering a trance-like state as he sang.
Aga Khan Music Initiative-Sebastian Schutyser (3)_preview_0_0Since my trip, the Aga Khan Music Initiative has widened its horizons (including to West Africa) and it will be possible to to see a truly dazzling array of musicians this Wednesday at the Royal Albert Hall, just up the road from the Ismaili Centre. The concert is to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the Aga Khan’s leadership of the Ismailis.
Among the stars are Homayoun Sakhi, an innovative performer of the rubab from Afghanistan; Wu Man, virtuoso on the pipa, a four-stringed lute that has been part of Chinese culture for 2,000 years; Sirojiddin Juraev, from northern Tajikstan; Basel Rajoub, saxophonist and composer-improviser from Syria; Saler Nader, virtuoso tabla player; Feras Charestan, a highly accomplished and innovative player of the qanun, a Middle Eastern zither; Andrea Piccioni, a master percussionist; and Abbos Kosimov, from a famous musical family in Uzbekistan. Probably the best known artists to Western audiences are Bassekou Kouyaté from Mali and the ever-adventurous Kronos Quartet, ageing enfant terribles of the classical world who have recorded with some of the best known Central Asian and West African artists.
At the least the concert and the ongoing work of the Music Initiative ensure that the music of this little-known region is preserved and developed for future generations, and that the wider world has a welcome chance to hear it.
Jubilee at the Royal Albert Hall, 8pm Wednesday 20 June 2018
As part of the celebrations for his Jubilee, the Aga Khan will be visiting the UK this month and will inaugurate the Aga Khan Centre in London’s Knowledge Quarter, Kings Cross
@PeterCulshaw
Opening next year, tomb that ‘inspired’ the Taj Mahal
Built in red sandstone with white marble inlay, the tomb was commissioned by soldier, minister, poet and scholar Rahim — known best for “Rahim ke dohe” — for his wife Mah Banu.
Covered in a green net and scaffolding, the majestic tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan in the Nizamuddin area holds plenty of secrets — peacock medallions, the Hindu swastika, a floral tank, hamams, and jharokhas. Since 2014, this 16th century garden-tomb has been undergoing renovation by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture as part of its ‘Nizamuddin area Urban Renewal Initiative’. It is expected to open to the public by mid-2019. The renovation is being done by AKTC along with the Archaeological Survey of India.
Built in red sandstone with white marble inlay, the tomb was commissioned by soldier, minister, poet and scholar Rahim — known best for “Rahim ke dohe” — for his wife Mah Banu.
More...
https://indianexpress.com/article/citie ... l-5224792/
Built in red sandstone with white marble inlay, the tomb was commissioned by soldier, minister, poet and scholar Rahim — known best for “Rahim ke dohe” — for his wife Mah Banu.
Covered in a green net and scaffolding, the majestic tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan in the Nizamuddin area holds plenty of secrets — peacock medallions, the Hindu swastika, a floral tank, hamams, and jharokhas. Since 2014, this 16th century garden-tomb has been undergoing renovation by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture as part of its ‘Nizamuddin area Urban Renewal Initiative’. It is expected to open to the public by mid-2019. The renovation is being done by AKTC along with the Archaeological Survey of India.
Built in red sandstone with white marble inlay, the tomb was commissioned by soldier, minister, poet and scholar Rahim — known best for “Rahim ke dohe” — for his wife Mah Banu.
More...
https://indianexpress.com/article/citie ... l-5224792/
Buried truth
Restoration of the Qutb Shahi tombs leads to surprising discoveries
TOURIST GUIDES AT the Qutb Shahi tombs—among the oldest heritage sites in Hyderabad—have a sheepish look these days. Until two years ago, they were reeling out the myth that Sultan Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, was a saint whose tomb, devoid of any ornamentation, was evidence of his simplicity. Recent efforts to restore the tombs present a different story— ornamental stucco was found beneath layers of cement plaster on the exterior walls of Quli Qutb Shah's tomb. The decoration on the minarets and details on the merlons below the dome were also restored.
More...
https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/20 ... truth.html
Restoration of the Qutb Shahi tombs leads to surprising discoveries
TOURIST GUIDES AT the Qutb Shahi tombs—among the oldest heritage sites in Hyderabad—have a sheepish look these days. Until two years ago, they were reeling out the myth that Sultan Quli Qutb Shah, the founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, was a saint whose tomb, devoid of any ornamentation, was evidence of his simplicity. Recent efforts to restore the tombs present a different story— ornamental stucco was found beneath layers of cement plaster on the exterior walls of Quli Qutb Shah's tomb. The decoration on the minarets and details on the merlons below the dome were also restored.
More...
https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/20 ... truth.html
A garden hanging on in time
Sunder Nursery weaves the past and the present of Delhi, besides providing the city with its very own oasis .
A casual drive on Delhi roads will make you catch a glimpse of the many tombs, serais, baolis and monuments that the Capital boasts of. One such gem is the16th century 90-acre heritage garden project — the Sunder Nursery.
Once upon a time, the garden was home to 15 monuments, including tombs, green pavilions, wells and even a 16th-century lotus pond. It recently opened to public after a decade-long landscape and heritage conservation project was wrapped up. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in collaboration with the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) took up the responsibility to give a facelift to Delhi’s much-valued green cover.
MORE...
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spect ... 19555.html
Sunder Nursery weaves the past and the present of Delhi, besides providing the city with its very own oasis .
A casual drive on Delhi roads will make you catch a glimpse of the many tombs, serais, baolis and monuments that the Capital boasts of. One such gem is the16th century 90-acre heritage garden project — the Sunder Nursery.
Once upon a time, the garden was home to 15 monuments, including tombs, green pavilions, wells and even a 16th-century lotus pond. It recently opened to public after a decade-long landscape and heritage conservation project was wrapped up. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in collaboration with the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) took up the responsibility to give a facelift to Delhi’s much-valued green cover.
MORE...
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/spect ... 19555.html
Is Hyderabad set to get its first world heritage site?
After conservation work for over five years, Aga Khan Trust....
More....
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 497899.cms
******
Restoration in Hyderabad
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a ten-year, integrated conservation and landscape restoration project at the Quli Qutb Shah Tomb complex in Hyderabad was signed in 2013 by the Andhra Pradesh State Department of Archaeology and Museums, the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and Aga Khan Foundation to begin revitalisation work on the Quli Qutb Shah Archaeological Park in Hyderabad.
More...
http://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/south ... -hyderabad
After conservation work for over five years, Aga Khan Trust....
More....
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 497899.cms
******
Restoration in Hyderabad
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a ten-year, integrated conservation and landscape restoration project at the Quli Qutb Shah Tomb complex in Hyderabad was signed in 2013 by the Andhra Pradesh State Department of Archaeology and Museums, the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and Aga Khan Foundation to begin revitalisation work on the Quli Qutb Shah Archaeological Park in Hyderabad.
More...
http://www.akdn.org/where-we-work/south ... -hyderabad
Conservation can help reverse urban decay in the country
The historical cores of most Indian cities can be restored through conservation efforts
Having lived for more than 40 years in the South Delhi colony of Nizamuddin I naturally feel great pride in the conservation of Humayun’s Tomb and its surroundings by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Central Public Works Department. I take great pleasure in walking in the newly laid out Sundar Nursery garden, particularly enjoying the combination of formally laid out areas and wilderness. I am delighted by the improvements in the quality of life that my neighbours living in the basti clustered round the tomb of the 13th century sufi saint Nizamuddin Aulia now enjoy. But last week as I listened to Shriraj Alibhai, director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, lecturing on strategies for urban regeneration and describing how a massive rubble dump had been turned into a park in Cairo, I wondered about India. How, with all the emphasis on reducing the percentage of people living below the poverty line, constructing infrastructure, improving education and health, creating jobs, could spending money and effort on conservation be justified here?
More...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/ ... ylPDM.html
*******
Renovation Of Chihil Sutun Palace Completed
Wok on renovation of Chihil Sutun Palace – meaning Forty Columns in English – a cultural heritage from the 19th century, has been completed. The palace was built by Abdur Rahman Khan who was Emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901.
The palace, that includes a garden and a pavilion, is lying over 60 acres of land in Kabul’s Chihil Sutun area in PD7. It is expected to attract thousands of visitors from Kabul and other provinces of the country.
The project has been financed by the German government and has been implemented by Aga Khan Development Network which works on renovation of historical and cultural places in the country. The project has taken three and half a years.
The historical site is registered as a cultural heritage at the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture.
More...
https://www.tolonews.com/arts-culture/r ... -completed
The historical cores of most Indian cities can be restored through conservation efforts
Having lived for more than 40 years in the South Delhi colony of Nizamuddin I naturally feel great pride in the conservation of Humayun’s Tomb and its surroundings by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Central Public Works Department. I take great pleasure in walking in the newly laid out Sundar Nursery garden, particularly enjoying the combination of formally laid out areas and wilderness. I am delighted by the improvements in the quality of life that my neighbours living in the basti clustered round the tomb of the 13th century sufi saint Nizamuddin Aulia now enjoy. But last week as I listened to Shriraj Alibhai, director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, lecturing on strategies for urban regeneration and describing how a massive rubble dump had been turned into a park in Cairo, I wondered about India. How, with all the emphasis on reducing the percentage of people living below the poverty line, constructing infrastructure, improving education and health, creating jobs, could spending money and effort on conservation be justified here?
More...
https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/ ... ylPDM.html
*******
Renovation Of Chihil Sutun Palace Completed
Wok on renovation of Chihil Sutun Palace – meaning Forty Columns in English – a cultural heritage from the 19th century, has been completed. The palace was built by Abdur Rahman Khan who was Emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901.
The palace, that includes a garden and a pavilion, is lying over 60 acres of land in Kabul’s Chihil Sutun area in PD7. It is expected to attract thousands of visitors from Kabul and other provinces of the country.
The project has been financed by the German government and has been implemented by Aga Khan Development Network which works on renovation of historical and cultural places in the country. The project has taken three and half a years.
The historical site is registered as a cultural heritage at the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture.
More...
https://www.tolonews.com/arts-culture/r ... -completed
Conservators discover hidden Mughal treasure near Humayun's tomb
NEW DELHI: Conservators have made a stunning discovery on the domed ceiling of the 16th-century Sabz Burj, a Mughal monument near Humayun's tomb: hidden paintings in blue, yellow, red and white, and some even in gold.
More...
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 656311.cms
*******
Is Hyderabad set to get its first world heritage site?
After conservation work for over five years, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has safeguarded over 30 out of 70 monuments in Quli Qutb Shahi tombs located near Golconda fort.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the archaeology department and the Aga Khan Trust has been extended till 2023 (the initial deadline was December 2017).
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 497899.cms
NEW DELHI: Conservators have made a stunning discovery on the domed ceiling of the 16th-century Sabz Burj, a Mughal monument near Humayun's tomb: hidden paintings in blue, yellow, red and white, and some even in gold.
More...
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 656311.cms
*******
Is Hyderabad set to get its first world heritage site?
After conservation work for over five years, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has safeguarded over 30 out of 70 monuments in Quli Qutb Shahi tombs located near Golconda fort.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the archaeology department and the Aga Khan Trust has been extended till 2023 (the initial deadline was December 2017).
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cit ... 497899.cms
Now, Humayun’s Tomb will glow in the Delhi night
The historic Mughal monument’s famous white marble dome will be lit up at night through the year
As the sun goes down behind Nizamuddin, you can now watch Humayun’s Tomb come aglow and imagine you’re in a time gone by. “From the late 16th century, travellers who came to Delhi up the Yamuna knew they had reached the historic city when they saw the iconic dome of Humayun’s Tomb,” says Ratish Nanda, the CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which has been responsible for the painstaking, sensitive restoration of the exquisite Mughal monument, the larger Nizamuddin area and other major projects in India and around the world. “But then, with rapid construction, that was no longer the case.”
More...
https://www.cntraveller.in/story/now-hu ... lhi-night/
The historic Mughal monument’s famous white marble dome will be lit up at night through the year
As the sun goes down behind Nizamuddin, you can now watch Humayun’s Tomb come aglow and imagine you’re in a time gone by. “From the late 16th century, travellers who came to Delhi up the Yamuna knew they had reached the historic city when they saw the iconic dome of Humayun’s Tomb,” says Ratish Nanda, the CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which has been responsible for the painstaking, sensitive restoration of the exquisite Mughal monument, the larger Nizamuddin area and other major projects in India and around the world. “But then, with rapid construction, that was no longer the case.”
More...
https://www.cntraveller.in/story/now-hu ... lhi-night/
Chihilsitoon Garden and Palace rehabilitation
Kabul, Afghanistan - Short video on the Chihilsitoon Garden and Palace rehabilitation undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (September 2018).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uis-yPE ... rce=Direct
Kabul, Afghanistan - Short video on the Chihilsitoon Garden and Palace rehabilitation undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (September 2018).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uis-yPE ... rce=Direct
Jason Kenney, Leader of the United Conservative Party in Alberta visits Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, India
Video clip:
https://ismailimail.blog/2018/09/22/jas ... lhi-india/
Video clip:
https://ismailimail.blog/2018/09/22/jas ... lhi-india/
Ram Rahman photographs Humayun’s Tomb in the night sky
In terms of architectural specifics, the white marble dome of Humayun’s Tomb towers more than 100 feet over the Delhi skyline. This grand dome now shines bright in the Delhi night sky, having been lit by 800 energy saving lamps, LED luminaires in a manner that mimics and enhances the effect of moonlight. Professor Ebba Koch, Mughal historian has said: “The tomb of Humayun is the first of the grand dynastic mausoleums that were to become synonyms of Mughal architecture. Here, for the first time, the monumental scale is attained that was to become the characteristic of Mughal imperial projects.”
Photos and more:
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/cont ... omb-delhi/
In terms of architectural specifics, the white marble dome of Humayun’s Tomb towers more than 100 feet over the Delhi skyline. This grand dome now shines bright in the Delhi night sky, having been lit by 800 energy saving lamps, LED luminaires in a manner that mimics and enhances the effect of moonlight. Professor Ebba Koch, Mughal historian has said: “The tomb of Humayun is the first of the grand dynastic mausoleums that were to become synonyms of Mughal architecture. Here, for the first time, the monumental scale is attained that was to become the characteristic of Mughal imperial projects.”
Photos and more:
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/cont ... omb-delhi/
There are a hundred ways to fix a building: Ratish Nanda
Conservation is not mathematics, says the man behind the renewed Sunder Nursery, which aims to rival the Mughal Gardens
It’s close to lunchtime and the sun is beating down on us, but noted conservation architect Ratish Nanda is in his element, guiding me through Sunder Nursery, the meticulously curated heritage park.
The park was opened to the public last month after a nearly decade-long restoration and redevelopment project. It sits next to Humayun’s Tomb, which, along with Nizamuddin Basti just across the road, forms the core of the 44-year-old Nanda’s work as chief executive of Aga Khan Trust for Culture in India.
More...
https://www.thehindu.com/society/there- ... 334426.ece
Conservation is not mathematics, says the man behind the renewed Sunder Nursery, which aims to rival the Mughal Gardens
It’s close to lunchtime and the sun is beating down on us, but noted conservation architect Ratish Nanda is in his element, guiding me through Sunder Nursery, the meticulously curated heritage park.
The park was opened to the public last month after a nearly decade-long restoration and redevelopment project. It sits next to Humayun’s Tomb, which, along with Nizamuddin Basti just across the road, forms the core of the 44-year-old Nanda’s work as chief executive of Aga Khan Trust for Culture in India.
More...
https://www.thehindu.com/society/there- ... 334426.ece
Putrajaya mulls partnership with Aga Khan Trust to develop Kedah Tua for tourism
GEORGE TOWN, Oct 9 — Putrajaya is planning to sign an agreement with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, through Think City Sdn Bhd, to develop Kedah Tua as an archaeotourism site, said Tourism, Culture and Arts Deputy Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik.
He said Kedah Tua is a network of old civilisation linking Lembah Bujang to Sungai Batu to Sik in Kedah and Guar Kepah in Seberang Perai here that can be promoted as one large site.
“We plan to sign a memorandum of understanding with Aga Khan Trust to develop the Kedah Tua project,” he told reporters after the opening of a National Archaeological Seminar here.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said these different sites are all linked and if the stories linking these sites can be told, it will generate a lot of interest internationally.
More...
https://www.malaymail.com/s/1680894/put ... tua-for-to
GEORGE TOWN, Oct 9 — Putrajaya is planning to sign an agreement with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, through Think City Sdn Bhd, to develop Kedah Tua as an archaeotourism site, said Tourism, Culture and Arts Deputy Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik.
He said Kedah Tua is a network of old civilisation linking Lembah Bujang to Sungai Batu to Sik in Kedah and Guar Kepah in Seberang Perai here that can be promoted as one large site.
“We plan to sign a memorandum of understanding with Aga Khan Trust to develop the Kedah Tua project,” he told reporters after the opening of a National Archaeological Seminar here.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said these different sites are all linked and if the stories linking these sites can be told, it will generate a lot of interest internationally.
More...
https://www.malaymail.com/s/1680894/put ... tua-for-to
TIME Greatest Places 2018
Sunder Nursery
New Delhi, India
Between the pollution and the crowds, it’s hard to get away in New Delhi. But now the Indian capital offers a respite: the city’s first arboretum. Unveiled in February, the 90-acre complex is a horticultural haven with restored Mughal-era monuments and natural water features. The eventual goal is to link up with a neighboring zoo and fort to create a 900-acre sanctum of greenery. —Casey Quackenbush
http://time.com/collection/worlds-great ... lhi-india/
Sunder Nursery
New Delhi, India
Between the pollution and the crowds, it’s hard to get away in New Delhi. But now the Indian capital offers a respite: the city’s first arboretum. Unveiled in February, the 90-acre complex is a horticultural haven with restored Mughal-era monuments and natural water features. The eventual goal is to link up with a neighboring zoo and fort to create a 900-acre sanctum of greenery. —Casey Quackenbush
http://time.com/collection/worlds-great ... lhi-india/
AKDN parks and gardens
Slide show at:
https://www.akdn.org/gallery/akdn-parks-and-gardens
The creation of parks and gardens has been an important part of AKDN's work, with the objective of using green spaces to catalyse positive economic, social and cultural change as well as expressing ethical notions of stewardship, ecology, and the presence of beauty in the built environment.
Gardens bring people of different backgrounds together to enjoy and appreciate nature. They also seek to improve people’s quality of life by providing spaces for reflection, spirituality, education and leisure.
Slide show at:
https://www.akdn.org/gallery/akdn-parks-and-gardens
The creation of parks and gardens has been an important part of AKDN's work, with the objective of using green spaces to catalyse positive economic, social and cultural change as well as expressing ethical notions of stewardship, ecology, and the presence of beauty in the built environment.
Gardens bring people of different backgrounds together to enjoy and appreciate nature. They also seek to improve people’s quality of life by providing spaces for reflection, spirituality, education and leisure.
Video: Islamic gardens as catalysts for change
The short documentary “Islamic Gardens: Catalysts for Change” covers the vast network of parks and gardens around the world developed by the Ismaili Imamat, under the leadership of Mawlana Hazar Imam.
The film explores their significance and the reasons for creating and revitalizing parks and gardens, including their role as spiritual and communal spaces, in environmental stewardship, their capacity to act as springboards for economic development, and their role as educational spaces to teach about the rich diversity and heritage of Muslim cultures and civilizations. The film looks at the numerous park and garden projects undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, as well as those found in the Ismaili Centres and many other spaces globally, with a special focus on the three projects opened during the Diamond Jubilee year of Mawlana Hazar Imam: the Sunder Nursery in India, the Islamic Gardens at Kings Cross at the Aga Khan Centre in London, and the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton.
Video:
https://the.ismaili/news/video-islamic- ... sts-change
The short documentary “Islamic Gardens: Catalysts for Change” covers the vast network of parks and gardens around the world developed by the Ismaili Imamat, under the leadership of Mawlana Hazar Imam.
The film explores their significance and the reasons for creating and revitalizing parks and gardens, including their role as spiritual and communal spaces, in environmental stewardship, their capacity to act as springboards for economic development, and their role as educational spaces to teach about the rich diversity and heritage of Muslim cultures and civilizations. The film looks at the numerous park and garden projects undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, as well as those found in the Ismaili Centres and many other spaces globally, with a special focus on the three projects opened during the Diamond Jubilee year of Mawlana Hazar Imam: the Sunder Nursery in India, the Islamic Gardens at Kings Cross at the Aga Khan Centre in London, and the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton.
Video:
https://the.ismaili/news/video-islamic- ... sts-change
http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index ... lis/431505
Conserving the biggest necropolis
THE HANS INDIA | Oct 26,2018
Hyderabad: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s (AKTC) ongoing conservation of the biggest necropolis in South India is well and truly on. Six months after the tombs were thrown open to public, the necropolis that lies at the foothills of Golconda Fort is buzzing with activity.
Tourists who had earlier confined themselves visiting Charminar, Chowmohalla Palace and the Salar Jung Museum have now included tombs in their itinerary. Staff at the tombs says that people have started coming in droves and add in the same breath that Ratish Nanda, conservation architect, who is overseeing the over Rs 100 crore project wants at least 20,000 people to visit the tombs.
Speaking to The Hans India from Delhi, Ratish said, “Thirty out of the 80 monuments have been fixed. We can say that 50 per cent of the conservation work has been completed.” Replying to allegations that the work is moving rather slowly, a member of AKTC, said that the conservation is all about adhering to and coming as close as possible to the original. The craftsmen work diligently in detailing and work on the intricate stucco work. P Anuradha Reddy, convenor, INTACH Hyderabad chapter, says, “The ongoing conservation work at the Qutub Shahi Tombs is something that we should be proud of.
People who could not see the tombs in their original grandeur will be able to.” She adds, “It was mentioned in the Travels of Monsieur De Thevenot about a green dome which over the centuries was covered with cement. Now once again we can see the green tiles on the tomb. This is conservation at its best.”
What separates the Qutub Shahi Tombs from the rest of the necropolises in the country is that the tombs are spread over acres juxtaposed with parks, age-old trees, arched verandas and baolis (step wells). The landscape is spread with 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, six step wells, a hamam (Persian bath) and hidden parks that have been unearthed during conservation. Anuradha Reddy says, “One can see a medley of Iranian and Vijayanagara architecture. And that adds to the beauty.”
Conserving the biggest necropolis
THE HANS INDIA | Oct 26,2018
Hyderabad: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s (AKTC) ongoing conservation of the biggest necropolis in South India is well and truly on. Six months after the tombs were thrown open to public, the necropolis that lies at the foothills of Golconda Fort is buzzing with activity.
Tourists who had earlier confined themselves visiting Charminar, Chowmohalla Palace and the Salar Jung Museum have now included tombs in their itinerary. Staff at the tombs says that people have started coming in droves and add in the same breath that Ratish Nanda, conservation architect, who is overseeing the over Rs 100 crore project wants at least 20,000 people to visit the tombs.
Speaking to The Hans India from Delhi, Ratish said, “Thirty out of the 80 monuments have been fixed. We can say that 50 per cent of the conservation work has been completed.” Replying to allegations that the work is moving rather slowly, a member of AKTC, said that the conservation is all about adhering to and coming as close as possible to the original. The craftsmen work diligently in detailing and work on the intricate stucco work. P Anuradha Reddy, convenor, INTACH Hyderabad chapter, says, “The ongoing conservation work at the Qutub Shahi Tombs is something that we should be proud of.
People who could not see the tombs in their original grandeur will be able to.” She adds, “It was mentioned in the Travels of Monsieur De Thevenot about a green dome which over the centuries was covered with cement. Now once again we can see the green tiles on the tomb. This is conservation at its best.”
What separates the Qutub Shahi Tombs from the rest of the necropolises in the country is that the tombs are spread over acres juxtaposed with parks, age-old trees, arched verandas and baolis (step wells). The landscape is spread with 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, six step wells, a hamam (Persian bath) and hidden parks that have been unearthed during conservation. Anuradha Reddy says, “One can see a medley of Iranian and Vijayanagara architecture. And that adds to the beauty.”
Gardens of Paradise: past and present
Jurjen van der Tas describes the history of Islamic gardens, how they are being adapted for modern use, and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s 20-year journey of creating and restoring paradise gardens across the Islamic world.
By Jurjen van der Tas
31 July 2018
Gardens of Paradise take their name from the old Persian pairi dez, meaning “surrounded by a wall”. Transliterated into the Greek as paradeisos and henceforth known to us as Gardens of Paradise, they are in essence self-contained refuges for flora and fauna, with humans as their keepers and end users. The dry conditions that are prevalent in the Middle East and Southern Europe, make it essential for such gardens to have access to a permanent source of water.
More...
https://www.akf.org.uk/blog/gardens-of-paradise/
Jurjen van der Tas describes the history of Islamic gardens, how they are being adapted for modern use, and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s 20-year journey of creating and restoring paradise gardens across the Islamic world.
By Jurjen van der Tas
31 July 2018
Gardens of Paradise take their name from the old Persian pairi dez, meaning “surrounded by a wall”. Transliterated into the Greek as paradeisos and henceforth known to us as Gardens of Paradise, they are in essence self-contained refuges for flora and fauna, with humans as their keepers and end users. The dry conditions that are prevalent in the Middle East and Southern Europe, make it essential for such gardens to have access to a permanent source of water.
More...
https://www.akf.org.uk/blog/gardens-of-paradise/