Renovated parks in Nizamuddin thrown open to public
Press Trust of India / New Delhi October 12, 2012, 19:35
Once an active zone for drug peddlers, parks in Hazrat Nizamuddin area now bustle with people and children who now throng in large numbers.
The DDA park, which is located at a land of five acres at the edge of Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti in south Delhi, was frequented only by two per cent of the local population till 2008 when it was taken up for landscaping.
It was a haven for drug peddling in the area and the local people feared even stepping inside the park.
Four years later, the park was opened to the public today after being landscaped as part of a project by Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
After exhaustive community consultation, the landscape design was made and distinct usage was allotted to each of the three major parks.
"Thus there is now a Women's only Pardah Bagh with an attached Children's Park, a park for Community elders and events and the larger park being inaugurated today for youth sports and an overspill from the Barat Ghar," an AKTC statement said.
The landscape design also reflects the historic nature of the settlement and there has been a predominant use of natural materials such as sandstone, quartzite stone and hardy Delhi flora such as Ashoka, Alostonia, Spathodia, Chandni and Bougainvillaea.
Ajay Chaudhry, Additional Commissioner of Police, inaugurated the landscaped DDA parks and youth from Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti played an inaugural football match.
Chaudhary complimented the efforts of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and assured women the police will have a zero tolerance towards drug peddlers and will keep this park and surrounding areas free from drug users.
Shveta Mathur, AKTC Programme Officer for Urban Planning, explained that community management of facilities such as the toilets had ensured appropriate use and encouraged the community to play an active role in park management.
The project was part of an AKTC entered into with the MCD, Central Public Works Department and the Archaeological Survey of India to undertake the Urban renewal project.
http://www.business-standard.com/genera ... lic/67671/
******
Nizamuddin park gets a makeover
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... pe-project
AKTC Work in the world
Chaunsath Khambha to stand tall again
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is restoring this unusually structured tomb in Nizamuddin Basti, dome by dome.
Tucked in the narrow lanes of Nizamuddin Basti, a seventeenth-century monument — Chaunsath Khambha — is in the process of regaining its lost glory.
Under the careful ministrations of a group of engineers, architects and craftsmen, this unusually structured tomb is gradually ridding itself of its many “wounds” sustained in the course of four centuries.
Built around 1623-24 AD, the building houses the tomb of Mirza Aziz Kokaltash — son of Shamshuddin Atagh Khan, Prime Minister of Emperor Akbar. Mirza Aziz Kokaltash was also the governor of Gujarat, during the reign of Jahangir.
“Since it is considered auspicious to be buried near a saint’s grave, seven centuries of tomb building in the vicinity of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s dargah have made this area the densest ensemble of medieval Islamic buildings in India,” Ratish Nanda, Project Director, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), said.
The trust is carrying out the restoration at Chaunsath Khambha, which is being co-funded by the Embassy of Germany, following an agreement between the two in 2011.
With 64 pillars supporting 25 domes, the monument has been constructed entirely in marble. Conservation experts said the building plan may have been inspired by that of Iranian garden pavilions such as Chihil Sutun (Hall of 40 Pillars), which also influenced the design of Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas at the Red Fort.
Conservation experts involved in the project said the monument had suffered severe damages because of excessive water seepage.
... contd.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/chaun ... n/1024863/
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is restoring this unusually structured tomb in Nizamuddin Basti, dome by dome.
Tucked in the narrow lanes of Nizamuddin Basti, a seventeenth-century monument — Chaunsath Khambha — is in the process of regaining its lost glory.
Under the careful ministrations of a group of engineers, architects and craftsmen, this unusually structured tomb is gradually ridding itself of its many “wounds” sustained in the course of four centuries.
Built around 1623-24 AD, the building houses the tomb of Mirza Aziz Kokaltash — son of Shamshuddin Atagh Khan, Prime Minister of Emperor Akbar. Mirza Aziz Kokaltash was also the governor of Gujarat, during the reign of Jahangir.
“Since it is considered auspicious to be buried near a saint’s grave, seven centuries of tomb building in the vicinity of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya’s dargah have made this area the densest ensemble of medieval Islamic buildings in India,” Ratish Nanda, Project Director, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), said.
The trust is carrying out the restoration at Chaunsath Khambha, which is being co-funded by the Embassy of Germany, following an agreement between the two in 2011.
With 64 pillars supporting 25 domes, the monument has been constructed entirely in marble. Conservation experts said the building plan may have been inspired by that of Iranian garden pavilions such as Chihil Sutun (Hall of 40 Pillars), which also influenced the design of Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas at the Red Fort.
Conservation experts involved in the project said the monument had suffered severe damages because of excessive water seepage.
... contd.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/chaun ... n/1024863/
Odinga, Aga Khan to witness signing of deal
Wednesday, 28 November 2012 23:24
By The Citizen Reporter
Arusha. Kenyan Prime minister Raila Odinga and His Highness the Aga Khan will today witness the signing of an agreement between the government of Kenya and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) for the rehabilitation of Nairobi City Park.
The Nairobi City Park Rehabilitation Funding and Technical Assistance Agreement (RFTA), as it is officially known, clears a way for the AKTC to begin works in the park starting in 2013, a statement released yesterday said. The model for the revised Nairobi City Park will also be unveiled today, marking a symbolic launch of the project.
“The primary objective of the project is to rehabilitate Nairobi’s City Park as a major metropolitan park that meets the highest standards in restoration, environmental practices and the financial self-sustainability,” the statement said.
Funds for the project will come from multiple sources, including the Aga Khan Development Network and grants, donor funds and other forms of project finance from reputable local and international organisations and agencies.
In addition, AKTC will also provide non-recoverable grants and seeks co-funding to redevelop the park. Operations are to be managed by a park operations unit, whose role will be to manage, maintain and attract visitors. Any possible revenue will be reinvested in social projects.
The agreement foresees collaboration through environmental improvements, landscape architectural conservation and enhancement and creation of new facilities. These activities will improve the quality of the site, making the environment safe for visitors to the City Park and provide the necessary infrastructure by respecting the natural and cultural heritage of the City Park and the people of Kenya.
The rehabilitation of the Park will be undertaken in phases. The first one will involve site surveys and collection of critical information incorporating physical, economic and significant natural conservation data. The second will consist of the actual project construction and the third will be operations and management of park activities.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is one of nine agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). With 10 park and garden projects now in its portfolio, the Trust has demonstrated that even in the most difficult contexts, parks can have a positive impact on a city if they are restored and maintained. In Cairo, Bamako, Kabul, Delhi, Zanzibar and other sites, AKTC’s rehabilitation of existing parks and the creation of new green spaces have made these places hugely popular among local populations and international visitors.
http://thecitizen.co.tz/news/4-national ... -deal.html
********
Nizamuddin Basti to host cultural festival
A three-day ‘Apni Basti Mela’ in the Capital’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti is being organised by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in association with the Union Cultural Ministry starting this Thursday.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Del ... 139603.ece
Flavours of Nizamuddin - The second edition of Apni Basti Mela is bigger and more varied.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/flavo ... n/1038395/
Wednesday, 28 November 2012 23:24
By The Citizen Reporter
Arusha. Kenyan Prime minister Raila Odinga and His Highness the Aga Khan will today witness the signing of an agreement between the government of Kenya and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) for the rehabilitation of Nairobi City Park.
The Nairobi City Park Rehabilitation Funding and Technical Assistance Agreement (RFTA), as it is officially known, clears a way for the AKTC to begin works in the park starting in 2013, a statement released yesterday said. The model for the revised Nairobi City Park will also be unveiled today, marking a symbolic launch of the project.
“The primary objective of the project is to rehabilitate Nairobi’s City Park as a major metropolitan park that meets the highest standards in restoration, environmental practices and the financial self-sustainability,” the statement said.
Funds for the project will come from multiple sources, including the Aga Khan Development Network and grants, donor funds and other forms of project finance from reputable local and international organisations and agencies.
In addition, AKTC will also provide non-recoverable grants and seeks co-funding to redevelop the park. Operations are to be managed by a park operations unit, whose role will be to manage, maintain and attract visitors. Any possible revenue will be reinvested in social projects.
The agreement foresees collaboration through environmental improvements, landscape architectural conservation and enhancement and creation of new facilities. These activities will improve the quality of the site, making the environment safe for visitors to the City Park and provide the necessary infrastructure by respecting the natural and cultural heritage of the City Park and the people of Kenya.
The rehabilitation of the Park will be undertaken in phases. The first one will involve site surveys and collection of critical information incorporating physical, economic and significant natural conservation data. The second will consist of the actual project construction and the third will be operations and management of park activities.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is one of nine agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). With 10 park and garden projects now in its portfolio, the Trust has demonstrated that even in the most difficult contexts, parks can have a positive impact on a city if they are restored and maintained. In Cairo, Bamako, Kabul, Delhi, Zanzibar and other sites, AKTC’s rehabilitation of existing parks and the creation of new green spaces have made these places hugely popular among local populations and international visitors.
http://thecitizen.co.tz/news/4-national ... -deal.html
********
Nizamuddin Basti to host cultural festival
A three-day ‘Apni Basti Mela’ in the Capital’s Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti is being organised by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in association with the Union Cultural Ministry starting this Thursday.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Del ... 139603.ece
Flavours of Nizamuddin - The second edition of Apni Basti Mela is bigger and more varied.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/flavo ... n/1038395/
Last edited by kmaherali on Sun Dec 02, 2012 6:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture to revitalise Nairobi City Park
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1408/Aga- ... -City-Park
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prime Minister Odinga, Prince Hussain, and other dignitaries discuss the model of the soon to be restored Nairobi City Park. Photo: Samwell Nyakondo
Nairobi, 29 November 2012 — “Culture is a trampoline for development and assistance for some of the poorest people in the world,” declared Mawlana Hazar Imam. He was speaking at a signing ceremony marking an agreement between the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the Government of Kenya to rehabilitate Nairobi City Park.
Also see:
» AKDN photo gallery
Located in the Nairobi suburb of Parklands, the park once served as a community hub for leisure and cultural activities. In its heydey, it was a favourite spot for a fun outing. “I remember Aga Khan Primary School class picnics [at the park],” says one 55-year-old Jamati member. The long-time Nairobi resident delightfully recalls visits with the “brass band playing on Sundays, the goldfish pond and monkeys!”
The agreement builds on an April 2012 memorandum of understanding between the Government of Kenya, the Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, the City Council of Nairobi and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture to collaborate in the rehabilitation and restoration of the Nairobi City Park to international standards. Present with Hazar Imam for the ceremony, Prince Hussain, who had signed the MoU on behalf of AKTC in April, had noted at the time that it was “an important step towards ensuring that the historical and cultural heritage, as well as the significant biodiversity of Nairobi City Park, is conserved now and for the generations to come.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam and Prime Minister Odinga tour an exhibition of the work of the AKTC Historic Cities Programme, accompanied by Prince Hussain, Dr Idle Farah and Luis Monreal. Photo: Samwell NyakondoThe forested 60-hectare park was established in the 1930s and is a testament to a time when trees covered much of Nairobi. Today, as a heritage site under the care of the National Museums of Kenya, it remains a natural preserve and a sanctuary for birds, insects, mammals and plants. A recent biodiversity survey of the park identified 988 species of flora and fauna — including some rare varieties — and no less than 58 species of indigenous trees.
The rehabilitation project will take place over several years, and will include a new restaurant, educational facilities, a botanical garden, an exhibition ground, an open air theatre and sports facilities. The works will also improve the park’s amenities and public safety, as well as provide the necessary infrastructure to maintain its natural and cultural heritage.
With ten park and garden projects in its portfolio, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has shown that proper restoration and maintenance of green spaces can contribute to improving quality of life in cities. Parks and gardens can also be economic generators that drive — directly and indirectly — a broad advance of positive change.
Signing the agreement (from left): Professor Karega Mutahi, Dr Jacob Ole Miaron, Dr Idle Farah, P.T. Odongo, Luis Monreal. Photo: Samwell Nyakondo“The Trust for Culture deals with cultural issues, environmental issues, and seeks to invest in the rehabilitation of cultural assets in the developing world,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam. “We are able to demonstrate that the support these sorts of initiatives give is as good as a micro dam or a ring road or an irrigation channel.”
Kenya’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Raila Odinga, who was the guest of honour at the ceremony, remarked on the government’s aspirations for the park: “City Park in particular has the mission of upholding our country’s tradition and cultural heritage while preserving the natural heritage and ecosystems,” he said. “Creating green spaces in urban areas constitutes a significant improvement in the quality of the environment and people’s living conditions.”
The signing ceremony took place at the Nairobi National Museum, and also included the unveiling of a model of the restored park. Signatories to the agreement included Luis Monreal, AKTC’s General Manager, Professor Karega Mutahi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Dr Jacob Ole Miaron, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, Dr Idle Farah, Director-General, National Museums of Kenya, and P.T. Odongo, City of Nairobi Town Clerk.
A close-up view of the Nairobi City Park model. Photo: Aziz Islamshah
http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1408/Aga- ... -City-Park
Mawlana Hazar Imam, Prime Minister Odinga, Prince Hussain, and other dignitaries discuss the model of the soon to be restored Nairobi City Park. Photo: Samwell Nyakondo
Nairobi, 29 November 2012 — “Culture is a trampoline for development and assistance for some of the poorest people in the world,” declared Mawlana Hazar Imam. He was speaking at a signing ceremony marking an agreement between the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and the Government of Kenya to rehabilitate Nairobi City Park.
Also see:
» AKDN photo gallery
Located in the Nairobi suburb of Parklands, the park once served as a community hub for leisure and cultural activities. In its heydey, it was a favourite spot for a fun outing. “I remember Aga Khan Primary School class picnics [at the park],” says one 55-year-old Jamati member. The long-time Nairobi resident delightfully recalls visits with the “brass band playing on Sundays, the goldfish pond and monkeys!”
The agreement builds on an April 2012 memorandum of understanding between the Government of Kenya, the Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, the City Council of Nairobi and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture to collaborate in the rehabilitation and restoration of the Nairobi City Park to international standards. Present with Hazar Imam for the ceremony, Prince Hussain, who had signed the MoU on behalf of AKTC in April, had noted at the time that it was “an important step towards ensuring that the historical and cultural heritage, as well as the significant biodiversity of Nairobi City Park, is conserved now and for the generations to come.”
Mawlana Hazar Imam and Prime Minister Odinga tour an exhibition of the work of the AKTC Historic Cities Programme, accompanied by Prince Hussain, Dr Idle Farah and Luis Monreal. Photo: Samwell NyakondoThe forested 60-hectare park was established in the 1930s and is a testament to a time when trees covered much of Nairobi. Today, as a heritage site under the care of the National Museums of Kenya, it remains a natural preserve and a sanctuary for birds, insects, mammals and plants. A recent biodiversity survey of the park identified 988 species of flora and fauna — including some rare varieties — and no less than 58 species of indigenous trees.
The rehabilitation project will take place over several years, and will include a new restaurant, educational facilities, a botanical garden, an exhibition ground, an open air theatre and sports facilities. The works will also improve the park’s amenities and public safety, as well as provide the necessary infrastructure to maintain its natural and cultural heritage.
With ten park and garden projects in its portfolio, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has shown that proper restoration and maintenance of green spaces can contribute to improving quality of life in cities. Parks and gardens can also be economic generators that drive — directly and indirectly — a broad advance of positive change.
Signing the agreement (from left): Professor Karega Mutahi, Dr Jacob Ole Miaron, Dr Idle Farah, P.T. Odongo, Luis Monreal. Photo: Samwell Nyakondo“The Trust for Culture deals with cultural issues, environmental issues, and seeks to invest in the rehabilitation of cultural assets in the developing world,” said Mawlana Hazar Imam. “We are able to demonstrate that the support these sorts of initiatives give is as good as a micro dam or a ring road or an irrigation channel.”
Kenya’s Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Raila Odinga, who was the guest of honour at the ceremony, remarked on the government’s aspirations for the park: “City Park in particular has the mission of upholding our country’s tradition and cultural heritage while preserving the natural heritage and ecosystems,” he said. “Creating green spaces in urban areas constitutes a significant improvement in the quality of the environment and people’s living conditions.”
The signing ceremony took place at the Nairobi National Museum, and also included the unveiling of a model of the restored park. Signatories to the agreement included Luis Monreal, AKTC’s General Manager, Professor Karega Mutahi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Dr Jacob Ole Miaron, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, Dr Idle Farah, Director-General, National Museums of Kenya, and P.T. Odongo, City of Nairobi Town Clerk.
A close-up view of the Nairobi City Park model. Photo: Aziz Islamshah
Aga Khan pledges to restore park’s glory
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/ ... index.html
By PETER LEFTIE
His Highness The Aga Khan (L) with Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga after signing an agreement to rehabilitate Nairobi City Park at Nairobi National Museum yesterday. PHOTO BY BILLY MUTAI.
Posted Friday, November 30 2012 at 02:00
In Summary
His Highness the Aga Khan says the Aga Khan Trust will refurbish Nairobi City Park as part of plans to rehabilitate cultural facilities across the globe.
Monitor Correspondent
Nairobi
His Highness the Aga Khan and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday launched a major project to return the Nairobi City Park to its lost glory when they witnessed the signing of an agreement to rehabilitate the facility.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the National Museum, the Aga Khan announced that the Aga Khan Trust was committed to investing in rehabilitating cultural facilities that will impact positively on the lives of the poor people across the globe. He said that the Trust was undertaking 10 other similar projects worldwide, the Nairobi project being the second in the East African region after a similar one in Zanzibar. He projected that once rehabilitated, the Park would be able to attract millions of visitors drawn from all corners of the world every year.
Mr Odinga said the project would make a substantial contribution to improving the urban environment of Nairobi. He said the importance of green spaces in fast growing mega-cities could not be underestimated as they played a big role in improving the quality of the environment. “They have proved to be catalysts for economic activity and a source of employment, both directly and indirectly,” he said.
The Prime Minister was optimistic that once rehabilitated, the Park would help raise awareness among the public as a whole on the judicious use of environmental resources. Mr Odinga said his office was in talks with the Aga Khan Development Network for support in Cash transfer, Micro Franchising and youth programmes in the Coast and in early childhood investment in nutrition and health care and loving home.
Agreement signed
The agreement was signed by Local Government Permanent Secretary Prof. Karega Mutahi, his National Heritage counterpart, Prof. Jacob ole Marion, Nairobi Town Clerk Tom Odongo and Luis Monreal for the Aga Khan Trust.
The agreement paves the way for the Aga Khan Trust to embark on the rehabilitation exercise starting early next year.
The project will entail environmental improvements, landscape architectural conservation and enhancement and creation of new facilities which will improve the quality of the site, making the environment safe for visitors to the Park.
According to Prof Mutahi, who chairs the steering committee overseeing the Park’s rehabilitation and Mr Monreal, the general manager at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the project will entail giving a facelift to a football pitch which has remained disused for many years.
An ampi-theatre and a swimming pool as well as a food court will also be constructed at the Park to help it generate its own income.
Monitor Correspondent
Nairobi
His Highness the Aga Khan and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday launched a major project to return the Nairobi City Park to its lost glory when they witnessed the signing of an agreement to rehabilitate the facility.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/ ... index.html
By PETER LEFTIE
His Highness The Aga Khan (L) with Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga after signing an agreement to rehabilitate Nairobi City Park at Nairobi National Museum yesterday. PHOTO BY BILLY MUTAI.
Posted Friday, November 30 2012 at 02:00
In Summary
His Highness the Aga Khan says the Aga Khan Trust will refurbish Nairobi City Park as part of plans to rehabilitate cultural facilities across the globe.
Monitor Correspondent
Nairobi
His Highness the Aga Khan and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday launched a major project to return the Nairobi City Park to its lost glory when they witnessed the signing of an agreement to rehabilitate the facility.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the National Museum, the Aga Khan announced that the Aga Khan Trust was committed to investing in rehabilitating cultural facilities that will impact positively on the lives of the poor people across the globe. He said that the Trust was undertaking 10 other similar projects worldwide, the Nairobi project being the second in the East African region after a similar one in Zanzibar. He projected that once rehabilitated, the Park would be able to attract millions of visitors drawn from all corners of the world every year.
Mr Odinga said the project would make a substantial contribution to improving the urban environment of Nairobi. He said the importance of green spaces in fast growing mega-cities could not be underestimated as they played a big role in improving the quality of the environment. “They have proved to be catalysts for economic activity and a source of employment, both directly and indirectly,” he said.
The Prime Minister was optimistic that once rehabilitated, the Park would help raise awareness among the public as a whole on the judicious use of environmental resources. Mr Odinga said his office was in talks with the Aga Khan Development Network for support in Cash transfer, Micro Franchising and youth programmes in the Coast and in early childhood investment in nutrition and health care and loving home.
Agreement signed
The agreement was signed by Local Government Permanent Secretary Prof. Karega Mutahi, his National Heritage counterpart, Prof. Jacob ole Marion, Nairobi Town Clerk Tom Odongo and Luis Monreal for the Aga Khan Trust.
The agreement paves the way for the Aga Khan Trust to embark on the rehabilitation exercise starting early next year.
The project will entail environmental improvements, landscape architectural conservation and enhancement and creation of new facilities which will improve the quality of the site, making the environment safe for visitors to the Park.
According to Prof Mutahi, who chairs the steering committee overseeing the Park’s rehabilitation and Mr Monreal, the general manager at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the project will entail giving a facelift to a football pitch which has remained disused for many years.
An ampi-theatre and a swimming pool as well as a food court will also be constructed at the Park to help it generate its own income.
Monitor Correspondent
Nairobi
His Highness the Aga Khan and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday launched a major project to return the Nairobi City Park to its lost glory when they witnessed the signing of an agreement to rehabilitate the facility.
Video: Nairobi City Park revitalisation agreement with Aga Khan Trust for Culture
http://www.akdn.org/videos_detail.asp?VideoId=185
http://www.akdn.org/videos_detail.asp?VideoId=185
Interview with Ratish Nanda of the AKTC on the restoration work in Nizamuddin.
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main54.asp ... istory.asp
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main54.asp ... istory.asp
Luis Monreal, General Manager of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture to speak at The International Colloquium organized by UNESCO
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=167123
http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=167123
Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme
The Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (HCP) became operational in 1992 to highlight best practice to governments and decision makers and to show that historic sites could become assets for economic development and not burdens on scarce resources. HCP implements conservation, urban regeneration and park projects in historically significant sites of the Islamic world. It does so over long time-frames, by raising local standards and coupling monument and public open space conservation with environmental and community development, thus engaging in sustainable urban redevelopment projects, which offer a platform for new socio-economic uses.
Through this integrated approach, HCP seeks to demonstrate that strengthening cultural identity can go hand in hand with socio-economic progress. This Special Collection on Archnet features all of the projects and publications of the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme.
Click here to view a list of Historic Cities Programme projects on Archnet. A list of HCP publications is available here.
http://archnet.org/library/images/sites ... n&key=1843
The Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (HCP) became operational in 1992 to highlight best practice to governments and decision makers and to show that historic sites could become assets for economic development and not burdens on scarce resources. HCP implements conservation, urban regeneration and park projects in historically significant sites of the Islamic world. It does so over long time-frames, by raising local standards and coupling monument and public open space conservation with environmental and community development, thus engaging in sustainable urban redevelopment projects, which offer a platform for new socio-economic uses.
Through this integrated approach, HCP seeks to demonstrate that strengthening cultural identity can go hand in hand with socio-economic progress. This Special Collection on Archnet features all of the projects and publications of the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme.
Click here to view a list of Historic Cities Programme projects on Archnet. A list of HCP publications is available here.
http://archnet.org/library/images/sites ... n&key=1843
Aga Khan Music Initiative, a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture supports the Omnibus-Ustatshakirt Plus workshop-seminar initiative
Omnibus ensemble leads contemporary music workshop-seminar in Bishkek
Bishkek, December 5 / Kabar /. The Tashkent-based contemporary music ensemble Omnibus has teamed up with Bishkek’s own music performance collective Ustatshakirt Plus to organize a first-of-a-kind workshop-seminar for young performers and composers Academy of Contemporary Music.
During the week-long event, forty students drawn from Bishkek music schools and institutes are participating in intensive practical music classes and open performances, listening to lectures, and watching documentaries about contemporary music and musicians. The aim of the workshop-seminar is to introduce young and talented musicians from Bishkek to new trends in contemporary music, offer artistic and technical critique to young composers, and reflect on the role of tradition-based music in contemporary music culture.
The Omnibus-Ustatshakirt Plus workshop-seminar initiative is being supported by the Aga Khan Music Initiative, a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and CEC ArtsLink, a New York-based nongovernmental organization.
Theodore Levin, Senior Project Consultant to the Aga Khan Music Initiative remarked, “The Music Initiative is delighted to join with CEC ArtsLink in supporting this important initiative. We hope that the results will contribute strongly to the Music Initiative’s mission of strengthening cultural pluralism and cosmopolitanism in Central Asia.”
Established in 2004 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Omnibus specializes in the performance of contemporary concert music from around the world. The Ensemble, founded and directed by composer and conductor Artyom Kim, seeks new and experimental expressive possibilities in contemporary music, including tradition-based contemporary music, while simultaneously working to promote interest in contemporary concert music among a broad public in Central Asia.
http://www.kabar.kg/eng/society/full/5730
Omnibus ensemble leads contemporary music workshop-seminar in Bishkek
Bishkek, December 5 / Kabar /. The Tashkent-based contemporary music ensemble Omnibus has teamed up with Bishkek’s own music performance collective Ustatshakirt Plus to organize a first-of-a-kind workshop-seminar for young performers and composers Academy of Contemporary Music.
During the week-long event, forty students drawn from Bishkek music schools and institutes are participating in intensive practical music classes and open performances, listening to lectures, and watching documentaries about contemporary music and musicians. The aim of the workshop-seminar is to introduce young and talented musicians from Bishkek to new trends in contemporary music, offer artistic and technical critique to young composers, and reflect on the role of tradition-based music in contemporary music culture.
The Omnibus-Ustatshakirt Plus workshop-seminar initiative is being supported by the Aga Khan Music Initiative, a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and CEC ArtsLink, a New York-based nongovernmental organization.
Theodore Levin, Senior Project Consultant to the Aga Khan Music Initiative remarked, “The Music Initiative is delighted to join with CEC ArtsLink in supporting this important initiative. We hope that the results will contribute strongly to the Music Initiative’s mission of strengthening cultural pluralism and cosmopolitanism in Central Asia.”
Established in 2004 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Omnibus specializes in the performance of contemporary concert music from around the world. The Ensemble, founded and directed by composer and conductor Artyom Kim, seeks new and experimental expressive possibilities in contemporary music, including tradition-based contemporary music, while simultaneously working to promote interest in contemporary concert music among a broad public in Central Asia.
http://www.kabar.kg/eng/society/full/5730
Sunder Nursery blooms into a park
Jan 2, 2013, DHNS:
Green Neighbourhood
Located in the heart of Delhi, the humble Sunder Nursery nearby Humayun’s Tomb often goes ignored. At one time, it was called the Azim Bagh - containing some of the native and rare plant species of the Capital. Soon, it was rechristened Sunder Nursery and the British used it to experiment with different plant species to put them on roadsides as well as Lutyen’s Delhi.
Today, the nursery may not be living that glory but it will soon be developed into a miniature ecological park displaying different micro-habitats. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the Aga Khan Trust, a private historical conservation group are jointly developing Sunder Nursery to be one of the few such parks in the region.
Sunder Nursery is no ordinary park. It houses at least nine tombs from the Mughal time and it is often called an archaeological park as well. The Aga Khan Trust plans to develop both the facets of the nursery.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/302 ... -park.html
Jan 2, 2013, DHNS:
Green Neighbourhood
Located in the heart of Delhi, the humble Sunder Nursery nearby Humayun’s Tomb often goes ignored. At one time, it was called the Azim Bagh - containing some of the native and rare plant species of the Capital. Soon, it was rechristened Sunder Nursery and the British used it to experiment with different plant species to put them on roadsides as well as Lutyen’s Delhi.
Today, the nursery may not be living that glory but it will soon be developed into a miniature ecological park displaying different micro-habitats. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the Aga Khan Trust, a private historical conservation group are jointly developing Sunder Nursery to be one of the few such parks in the region.
Sunder Nursery is no ordinary park. It houses at least nine tombs from the Mughal time and it is often called an archaeological park as well. The Aga Khan Trust plans to develop both the facets of the nursery.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/302 ... -park.html
A New Paradigm for Cultural Conservation and Restoration
By Ratish Nanda
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture projects promotes the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities in the Muslim World. The restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces is undertaken 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 keeping with this philosophy, on the completion of the Humayun’s Tomb garden restoration in 2003, a new project that would integrate conservation, socioeconomic development and urban and environmental development objectives in consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders was planned.
More.....
http://designpublic.in/blog/a-new-parad ... storation/
By Ratish Nanda
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture projects promotes the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities in the Muslim World. The restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures and public spaces is undertaken 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 keeping with this philosophy, on the completion of the Humayun’s Tomb garden restoration in 2003, a new project that would integrate conservation, socioeconomic development and urban and environmental development objectives in consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders was planned.
More.....
http://designpublic.in/blog/a-new-parad ... storation/
Civil Society News, New Delhi
Excerpt:
Reviving the Nizamuddin Basti, therefore, is a task that has much contemporary relevance. The inclusive and inter-cultural values associated with the basti in its heyday are even more relevant now. Also, the strategic midwifery that delivers new civic facilities in the basti could be the inspiration for overcoming similar challenges in the old quarters of other Indian cities.
The present conservation and urban revival effort is led by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which works through its arms, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).
A memorandum of understanding was signed in 2007 involving the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). A subsequent MoU was signed with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
http://www.civilsocietyonline.com/pages ... s.aspx?237
Excerpt:
Reviving the Nizamuddin Basti, therefore, is a task that has much contemporary relevance. The inclusive and inter-cultural values associated with the basti in its heyday are even more relevant now. Also, the strategic midwifery that delivers new civic facilities in the basti could be the inspiration for overcoming similar challenges in the old quarters of other Indian cities.
The present conservation and urban revival effort is led by the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which works through its arms, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC).
A memorandum of understanding was signed in 2007 involving the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). A subsequent MoU was signed with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
http://www.civilsocietyonline.com/pages ... s.aspx?237
Endangered heritage
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/endangered-heritage-2/
Excerpt:
As they shrink and get damaged by human intervention, Pakistan is losing its immensely rich heritage. That we do not love and cherish our past is surely reflected in our regrettable condition today. Without a past and a woeful present, one shudders to think what the future will be like.
One can dwell at length on the plight of cities like Multan, Hyderabad, Lahore, Peshawar and even smaller towns like Bhera. Lahore’s walled city today is 70 per cent commercialised, with all its ancient walls knocked down to make way for commercialisation. When the Aga Khan Trust for Culture intervened, the trader-politicians of Lahore literally chased them out.
On the rebound, a former prime minister requested the Aga Khan to help conserve old Multan, and it goes to the credit of the Ismaili leader that he obliged.
http://dawn.com/2013/01/07/endangered-heritage-2/
Excerpt:
As they shrink and get damaged by human intervention, Pakistan is losing its immensely rich heritage. That we do not love and cherish our past is surely reflected in our regrettable condition today. Without a past and a woeful present, one shudders to think what the future will be like.
One can dwell at length on the plight of cities like Multan, Hyderabad, Lahore, Peshawar and even smaller towns like Bhera. Lahore’s walled city today is 70 per cent commercialised, with all its ancient walls knocked down to make way for commercialisation. When the Aga Khan Trust for Culture intervened, the trader-politicians of Lahore literally chased them out.
On the rebound, a former prime minister requested the Aga Khan to help conserve old Multan, and it goes to the credit of the Ismaili leader that he obliged.
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetai ... ombs-.html
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 IANS
Aga Khan Trust to conserve Qutub Shahi Tombs
Andhra Pradesh,Art/Culture/Books,
Hyderabad, Jan 9 (IANS) The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has come forward to take up the task of conserving and beautifying Qutub Shahi Tombs here.
The trust will spend Rs.90 crore over the next five years for the purpose.
A memorandum of understanding on this was signed Wednesday among Department of Archaeology and Museums, Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and Aga Khan Trust in the presence of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Reddy said conservation and renovation of the tombs would help protect cultural tradition of the historic city of Hyderabad.
The Quli Qutb Shah Archaeological Park, comprising of the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex and Deccan Park, is one of the most significant medieval necropolises with 70 structures.
They include 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, five step-wells/water structures, a 'hamam', pavilions, garden structures and enclosure walls built during the reign of Qutb Shahi dynasty that ruled the Hyderabad region for 170 years during 16th and 17th centuries.
The structures reflect the Deccani style of architecture. The complex consisting of royal mausoleums with massive domes, mosques and pools built in Indo-Islamic style are replete with crenulations, freezes, tile work, floral designs in plaster and stucco work.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture has already entered into an agreement with Archaeological Survey of India to carry out a multi-faceted urban renewal initiative combining heritage site of Humayun's tomb, the adjoining Sunder Nursery and Nizamuddin Basti in New Delhi -- jointly referred to as Delhi Project Area.
Wed, 09 Jan 2013 IANS
Aga Khan Trust to conserve Qutub Shahi Tombs
Andhra Pradesh,Art/Culture/Books,
Hyderabad, Jan 9 (IANS) The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has come forward to take up the task of conserving and beautifying Qutub Shahi Tombs here.
The trust will spend Rs.90 crore over the next five years for the purpose.
A memorandum of understanding on this was signed Wednesday among Department of Archaeology and Museums, Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and Aga Khan Trust in the presence of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Reddy said conservation and renovation of the tombs would help protect cultural tradition of the historic city of Hyderabad.
The Quli Qutb Shah Archaeological Park, comprising of the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex and Deccan Park, is one of the most significant medieval necropolises with 70 structures.
They include 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, five step-wells/water structures, a 'hamam', pavilions, garden structures and enclosure walls built during the reign of Qutb Shahi dynasty that ruled the Hyderabad region for 170 years during 16th and 17th centuries.
The structures reflect the Deccani style of architecture. The complex consisting of royal mausoleums with massive domes, mosques and pools built in Indo-Islamic style are replete with crenulations, freezes, tile work, floral designs in plaster and stucco work.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture has already entered into an agreement with Archaeological Survey of India to carry out a multi-faceted urban renewal initiative combining heritage site of Humayun's tomb, the adjoining Sunder Nursery and Nizamuddin Basti in New Delhi -- jointly referred to as Delhi Project Area.
AKTC's presence at the UNESCO International Colloquium on the Conservation of World Heritage Earthen Architecture
UNESCO holds the first International Colloquium on the Conservation of World Heritage Earthen Architecture
Monday, January 7, 2013
Within framework of the World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP), an international colloquium on the conservation of earthen architecture was organized at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, in partnership with CRAterre-ENSAG, on 17 and 18 December 2012.
This conference, which brought together 240 participants, including experts, professionals and students, was the first international event on earthen architecture in the context of World Heritage. Held at the midpoint of the WHEAP programme (2007-2017), it offered a critical look at the progress and achievements of the WHEAP programme and presented the diversity of earthen architecture on the World Heritage List.
“Apart from the fruitful exchanges among experts, the increased knowledge and reinforcement of our network, it is my hope that this meeting will provide guidance for World Heritage earthen architecture and the sustainable development of its communities around the world,” said Mr. Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO Assistant Director for Culture during his opening speech.
Mr. Lazare Eloundou, Head of the Africa Unit of the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, emphasized that: “It is important to find a common position on how to go about the future of earthen architecture on the World Heritage List because it is part of the intangible heritage, part of cultures' beliefs systems and part of the way people built their environment. This is a very fragile material so it is important to discuss an integrated approach on how to deal with the conservation because this material continues to be used even today in modern construction.”
Highlights of the conference
The meeting was marked by the presence of 40 experts from all regions of the world, from institutions like the Aga Khan Trust For Culture, the World Monuments Fund and the Getty Conservation Institute, who were able to share their research in the areas of prevention and conservation of World Heritage earthen architecture.
More...
http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/974
********
Al Darb Al Ahmar Arts School
Culture Resource in cooperation with Agha Khan Trust for Culture launched the Darb Al Ahmar Arts School for educating children and youth in Cairo’s Darb Al Ahmar district in artistic disciplines(circus arts, brass and percussion) in January 2010.
http://www.mawred.org/en/al-darb-al-ahmar
UNESCO holds the first International Colloquium on the Conservation of World Heritage Earthen Architecture
Monday, January 7, 2013
Within framework of the World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP), an international colloquium on the conservation of earthen architecture was organized at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, in partnership with CRAterre-ENSAG, on 17 and 18 December 2012.
This conference, which brought together 240 participants, including experts, professionals and students, was the first international event on earthen architecture in the context of World Heritage. Held at the midpoint of the WHEAP programme (2007-2017), it offered a critical look at the progress and achievements of the WHEAP programme and presented the diversity of earthen architecture on the World Heritage List.
“Apart from the fruitful exchanges among experts, the increased knowledge and reinforcement of our network, it is my hope that this meeting will provide guidance for World Heritage earthen architecture and the sustainable development of its communities around the world,” said Mr. Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO Assistant Director for Culture during his opening speech.
Mr. Lazare Eloundou, Head of the Africa Unit of the World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, emphasized that: “It is important to find a common position on how to go about the future of earthen architecture on the World Heritage List because it is part of the intangible heritage, part of cultures' beliefs systems and part of the way people built their environment. This is a very fragile material so it is important to discuss an integrated approach on how to deal with the conservation because this material continues to be used even today in modern construction.”
Highlights of the conference
The meeting was marked by the presence of 40 experts from all regions of the world, from institutions like the Aga Khan Trust For Culture, the World Monuments Fund and the Getty Conservation Institute, who were able to share their research in the areas of prevention and conservation of World Heritage earthen architecture.
More...
http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/974
********
Al Darb Al Ahmar Arts School
Culture Resource in cooperation with Agha Khan Trust for Culture launched the Darb Al Ahmar Arts School for educating children and youth in Cairo’s Darb Al Ahmar district in artistic disciplines(circus arts, brass and percussion) in January 2010.
http://www.mawred.org/en/al-darb-al-ahmar
http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/ ... 125980.htm
Aga Khan Trust to conserve Qutub Shahi Tombs
Last Updated: Thursday, January 10, 2013, 09:33
Tags: Aga Khan Trust, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Qutub Shahi Tombs Hyderabad
Aga Khan Trust to conserve Qutub Shahi Tombs Hyderabad: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has come forward to take up the task of conserving and beautifying Qutub Shahi Tombs here.
The trust will spend Rs.90 crore over the next five years for the purpose.
A memorandum of understanding on this was signed Wednesday among Department of Archaeology and Museums, Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and Aga Khan Trust in the presence of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Reddy said conservation and renovation of the tombs would help protect cultural tradition of the historic city of Hyderabad.
The Quli Qutb Shah Archaeological Park, comprising of the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex and Deccan Park, is one of the most significant medieval necropolises with 70 structures.
They include 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, five step-wells/water structures, a `hamam`, pavilions, garden structures and enclosure walls built during the reign of Qutb Shahi dynasty that ruled the Hyderabad region for 170 years during 16th and 17th centuries.
The structures reflect the Deccani style of architecture. The complex consisting of royal mausoleums with massive domes, mosques and pools built in Indo-Islamic style are replete with crenulations, freezes, tile work, floral designs in plaster and stucco work.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture has already entered into an agreement with Archaeological Survey of India to carry out a multi-faceted urban renewal initiative combining heritage site of Humayun`s tomb, the adjoining Sunder Nursery and Nizamuddin Basti in New Delhi -- jointly referred to as Delhi Project Area.
IANS
First Published: Thursday, January 10, 2013, 09:33
Aga Khan Trust to conserve Qutub Shahi Tombs
Last Updated: Thursday, January 10, 2013, 09:33
Tags: Aga Khan Trust, Qutub Shahi Tombs, Qutub Shahi Tombs Hyderabad
Aga Khan Trust to conserve Qutub Shahi Tombs Hyderabad: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has come forward to take up the task of conserving and beautifying Qutub Shahi Tombs here.
The trust will spend Rs.90 crore over the next five years for the purpose.
A memorandum of understanding on this was signed Wednesday among Department of Archaeology and Museums, Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and Aga Khan Trust in the presence of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.
Reddy said conservation and renovation of the tombs would help protect cultural tradition of the historic city of Hyderabad.
The Quli Qutb Shah Archaeological Park, comprising of the Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex and Deccan Park, is one of the most significant medieval necropolises with 70 structures.
They include 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, five step-wells/water structures, a `hamam`, pavilions, garden structures and enclosure walls built during the reign of Qutb Shahi dynasty that ruled the Hyderabad region for 170 years during 16th and 17th centuries.
The structures reflect the Deccani style of architecture. The complex consisting of royal mausoleums with massive domes, mosques and pools built in Indo-Islamic style are replete with crenulations, freezes, tile work, floral designs in plaster and stucco work.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture has already entered into an agreement with Archaeological Survey of India to carry out a multi-faceted urban renewal initiative combining heritage site of Humayun`s tomb, the adjoining Sunder Nursery and Nizamuddin Basti in New Delhi -- jointly referred to as Delhi Project Area.
IANS
First Published: Thursday, January 10, 2013, 09:33
Revitalisation to Begin on Quli Qutb Shah Archaeological Park in Hyderabad, India
http://www.akdn.org/Content/1167/Revita ... abad-India
Please also see: Photos
Hyderabad, India, 10 January 2013 - 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 today by the Andhra Pradesh State Department of Archaeology and Museums, the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Aga Khan Foundation.
*******
Rs 100-cr project to restore Qutb Shahi tombs
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/304 ... store.html
http://www.akdn.org/Content/1167/Revita ... abad-India
Please also see: Photos
Hyderabad, India, 10 January 2013 - 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 today by the Andhra Pradesh State Department of Archaeology and Museums, the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Aga Khan Foundation.
*******
Rs 100-cr project to restore Qutb Shahi tombs
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/304 ... store.html
Last edited by kmaherali on Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Amidst War, An Afghan Renaissance
We often see the arts as only fit for museums, galleries, and film festivals, cloistered in halls only for the intellectual elite. But the arts can help build a nation, or in the case of Afghanistan, are rebuilding a nation, employing its people, and recalling a history forgotten in recent decades of continuous conflict. And a small group of social scientists, architects, and entrepreneurs are using culture as a vehicle to restore Afghanistan, challenging the convention that the arts are only for aesthetics.
“Cultural conservation is directly linked to development and livelihoods here. The historic sites that we’re rebuilding are functioning places, generating revue, providing jobs, and are self-sustaining,” says Ajmal Maiwandi, an Afghan-American architect who returned to the country nearly a decade ago to take up a post with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to help rebuild Afghanistan’s most historic sites. In that time, Maiwandi explains that AKTC has preserved nearly a 100 sites, even during tense periods of conflict.
http://dowser.org/amidst-war-an-afghan-renaissance/
********
Babur's Gardens
Lonely Planet review for Babur's Gardens
Laid out by the Mughal ruler Babur in the early 16th century, and the site of his tomb, these gardens are the loveliest spot in Kabul. At 11 hectares, they are also the largest public green space in the city. Left to ruins during the war, they have been spectacularly restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). The garden was laid out in the classical charbagh (four garden) pattern, with a series of quartered rising terraces split by a central watercourse. The garden was used as a pleasure spot by repeated Mughal rulers, but fell into disrepair after the dynasty lost control of Kabul. Abdur Rahman Khan restored much of the grounds at the turn of the 20th century. Public access was allowed in the 1930s, but the gardens were despoiled and many trees cut for firewood in the anarchy that swept through Kabul during the civil war. The garden is surrounded by high walls, rebuilt by the local community. Visitors are greeted by a large traditional caravanserai which is planned to open as a visitors centre, showing many of the finds excavated in the archaeological dig that preceded the restoration. Although modern, it stands on the footprint of an older building of the same plan built as a refuge for the poor in the 1640s. From the caravanserai the eye is immediately swept up the terraces, following the line of the white marble watercourse. On either side the grounds are deeply planted with herbaceous beds and saplings. Many species chosen for replanting are specifically mentioned in the Baburnama, including walnut, cherry, quince, mulberry and apricot trees. In the centre of the garden is a pavilion built by Abdur Rahman Khan, with a series of information boards on the restoration programme. Above this there’s a delicate white marble mosque built in 1647 by Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal. While on a much smaller scale, the similarities in style are evident in the clean carving of the stone. Overlooking the whole of the garden from the top terrace is Babur’s tomb, inside a simple enclosure. Babur wished to be buried under the open sky so his grave is uncovered, surrounded by a simple marble screen. The headstone says it was erected for ‘the light-garden of the God-forgiven angel king whose rest is in the garden of Heaven’. Given the near-miraculous resurrection of the grounds, it’s an easy poetic sentiment to agree with.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/afghanistan ... -s-gardens
We often see the arts as only fit for museums, galleries, and film festivals, cloistered in halls only for the intellectual elite. But the arts can help build a nation, or in the case of Afghanistan, are rebuilding a nation, employing its people, and recalling a history forgotten in recent decades of continuous conflict. And a small group of social scientists, architects, and entrepreneurs are using culture as a vehicle to restore Afghanistan, challenging the convention that the arts are only for aesthetics.
“Cultural conservation is directly linked to development and livelihoods here. The historic sites that we’re rebuilding are functioning places, generating revue, providing jobs, and are self-sustaining,” says Ajmal Maiwandi, an Afghan-American architect who returned to the country nearly a decade ago to take up a post with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to help rebuild Afghanistan’s most historic sites. In that time, Maiwandi explains that AKTC has preserved nearly a 100 sites, even during tense periods of conflict.
http://dowser.org/amidst-war-an-afghan-renaissance/
********
Babur's Gardens
Lonely Planet review for Babur's Gardens
Laid out by the Mughal ruler Babur in the early 16th century, and the site of his tomb, these gardens are the loveliest spot in Kabul. At 11 hectares, they are also the largest public green space in the city. Left to ruins during the war, they have been spectacularly restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). The garden was laid out in the classical charbagh (four garden) pattern, with a series of quartered rising terraces split by a central watercourse. The garden was used as a pleasure spot by repeated Mughal rulers, but fell into disrepair after the dynasty lost control of Kabul. Abdur Rahman Khan restored much of the grounds at the turn of the 20th century. Public access was allowed in the 1930s, but the gardens were despoiled and many trees cut for firewood in the anarchy that swept through Kabul during the civil war. The garden is surrounded by high walls, rebuilt by the local community. Visitors are greeted by a large traditional caravanserai which is planned to open as a visitors centre, showing many of the finds excavated in the archaeological dig that preceded the restoration. Although modern, it stands on the footprint of an older building of the same plan built as a refuge for the poor in the 1640s. From the caravanserai the eye is immediately swept up the terraces, following the line of the white marble watercourse. On either side the grounds are deeply planted with herbaceous beds and saplings. Many species chosen for replanting are specifically mentioned in the Baburnama, including walnut, cherry, quince, mulberry and apricot trees. In the centre of the garden is a pavilion built by Abdur Rahman Khan, with a series of information boards on the restoration programme. Above this there’s a delicate white marble mosque built in 1647 by Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal. While on a much smaller scale, the similarities in style are evident in the clean carving of the stone. Overlooking the whole of the garden from the top terrace is Babur’s tomb, inside a simple enclosure. Babur wished to be buried under the open sky so his grave is uncovered, surrounded by a simple marble screen. The headstone says it was erected for ‘the light-garden of the God-forgiven angel king whose rest is in the garden of Heaven’. Given the near-miraculous resurrection of the grounds, it’s an easy poetic sentiment to agree with.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/afghanistan ... -s-gardens
Aga Khan Trust for Culture India Presents: Concerts, Exhibitions, Films, Seminars, and Heritage Walks celebrating the life and works of Amir Khusrau Dehlavi
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... ilimail%29
http://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... ilimail%29
Aga Khan Music Initiative Presents “New Sounds from Arab Lands” in Europe and United States
Tour Debuts Contemporary Arab Music Icons and Newly Commissioned Collaborative Pieces Supported by AKMI
Video: New Sounds from Arab Lands
About the concerts: Programme Notes
More Information: www.akdn.org/music
Geneva, 4 February 2013 – Five eminent performer-composer-improvisers from Syria, Tunisia and Lebanon will tour Europe and the United States from 8 to 28 February 2013 (a full list of dates are found below) in a tour supported by the Aga Khan Music Initiative.
More....
http://www.akdn.org/Content/1168
Tour Debuts Contemporary Arab Music Icons and Newly Commissioned Collaborative Pieces Supported by AKMI
Video: New Sounds from Arab Lands
About the concerts: Programme Notes
More Information: www.akdn.org/music
Geneva, 4 February 2013 – Five eminent performer-composer-improvisers from Syria, Tunisia and Lebanon will tour Europe and the United States from 8 to 28 February 2013 (a full list of dates are found below) in a tour supported by the Aga Khan Music Initiative.
More....
http://www.akdn.org/Content/1168
Exhibition: "Historic Cities"
The Support Agency for Architecture Barcelona (AAAB), in collaboration with Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Casa Asia and the European Institute of the Mediterranean, organises this display of images and drawings of architectonic projects, as well as audiovisuals that allow to get to know the everyday work realities in cities such as El Cairo, Kabul, Djenné or Zanzibar, among others.
Within the framework of the opening of this exhibition, an opening lecture that will be delivered by:
Luis Monreal, General Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Later, a roundtable will be held that counts on the following speakers:
Josep Giralt, Director of Cultural Action of the European Institute of the Mediterranean.
Menene Gras, Director of Culture and Exhibitions of Casa Asia.
The Programme Aga Khan for historic cities (AKHCP for its initials in English) promotes the preservation and reuse of public spaces and buildings in historic cities of the Muslim world in order to stimulate social, economic and cultural development. The programmes of every project go beyond the technical restoration of buildings, including parameters such as social and environmental fields, the adaptation to new uses, institutional sustainability and development of abilities.
Date2013/02/06 > 2013/02/28.TimetableFrom the 6th to the 28th of February, from 9.30am to 2pm and from 4.30pm to 8pm
Opening: Wednesday 6th of February at 7.30pm.VenueSupport Agency for Architecture Barcelona (AAAB)
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 694
Barcelona
.TicketFree admission..OrganiserThe Support Agency for Architecture Barcelona (AAAB), in collaboration with Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Casa Asia and the European Institute of the Mediterranean..
http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=209409
********
Aga Khan Trust for Culture Hosts Jashne Khusrau Festival in Delhi
http://www.akdn.org/Content/1172/Aga-Kh ... l-in-Delhi
Concert Schedule
Full Schedule of Events (pdf)
Delhi, 11 February 2012 - As part of a major Urban Renewal project in the Humayun’s Tomb-Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti area of Delhi, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is hosting the Jashne Khusrau festival with the support of the Ford Foundation from 15 February onwards.
The urban renewal initiative links conservation of the built heritage with programmes to improve the Quality of Life for local communities.
Hazrat Amir Khusrau Dehlavi, the renowned 13th century sufi-poet, was the favourite disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. His remarkable legacy is entwined with the rich cultural heritage of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. Since 2008, AKTC has focused on documenting, researching, and disseminating this legacy and making it meaningful in the present context.
The performances will be held at the India Habitat Centre and at specially built venues of the 16th century Chausath Khambha in Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti and at the CPWD Sundar Nursery (near Humayun’s Tomb). During the festival, National Museum & National Archives will hold special exhibits focused on Hazrat Amir Khusrau. Doordarshan’s Bharati channel will telecast many of the performances live and also telecast archival recordings related to the legacy of Hazrat Amir Khusrau Dehlavi.
The February 2013 festival includes 10 performances (see below), as well as film screenings, exhibitions, discussions, lectures and heritage walks devoted to illustrating the impact of Hazrat Amir Khusrau Dehlavi’s legacy in folk and classical music.
The current festival follows the 2010 festival, which focused on Khusrau’s contribution to Quwwali music.
The schedule will also be available on the project Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/NizamuddinRenewal
Concert Schedule
Friday, 15 February: 6:30 PM- Amphitheatre, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Nasiruddin Saami (Khayal)
Saturday, 16 February: 6:30 PM Stein Auditorium, IHC
Performer: Folk & Classical Music by Rehana-Parween, Saira Begum & Gulshan Ara
Sunday, 17 February: 06:30PM Stein Auditorium, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Vidushi Kankana Bannerjee (Khayal)
Monday, 18 February: 6:30 PM- Amphitheatre, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Ghulam Muhammad Saaznawaz & Group (Kashmiri Sufiana)
Tuesday, 19 February: 6:30 PM Amphitheatre, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan (Khayal)
Wednesday, 20 February: 6:30 PM Amphitheatre, Sunder Nursery
Performer: Contemporary Music by Mekaal Hasan Band (Pakistan)
Thursday, 21 February: 6:30 PM Amphitheatre, Sunder Nursery
Performer: Ghazal by Tahira Syed
Friday, 22 February: 6:30 PM Chaunsath Khamba
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Shahid Pervez Khan (Sitar)
Saturday, 23 February: 6:30 PM Chaunsath Khamba
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan (Khayal)
Sunday, 24 February: 6:30 PM Chaunsath Khamba
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan (Sitar)
The events are open to everyone.
The Support Agency for Architecture Barcelona (AAAB), in collaboration with Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Casa Asia and the European Institute of the Mediterranean, organises this display of images and drawings of architectonic projects, as well as audiovisuals that allow to get to know the everyday work realities in cities such as El Cairo, Kabul, Djenné or Zanzibar, among others.
Within the framework of the opening of this exhibition, an opening lecture that will be delivered by:
Luis Monreal, General Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Later, a roundtable will be held that counts on the following speakers:
Josep Giralt, Director of Cultural Action of the European Institute of the Mediterranean.
Menene Gras, Director of Culture and Exhibitions of Casa Asia.
The Programme Aga Khan for historic cities (AKHCP for its initials in English) promotes the preservation and reuse of public spaces and buildings in historic cities of the Muslim world in order to stimulate social, economic and cultural development. The programmes of every project go beyond the technical restoration of buildings, including parameters such as social and environmental fields, the adaptation to new uses, institutional sustainability and development of abilities.
Date2013/02/06 > 2013/02/28.TimetableFrom the 6th to the 28th of February, from 9.30am to 2pm and from 4.30pm to 8pm
Opening: Wednesday 6th of February at 7.30pm.VenueSupport Agency for Architecture Barcelona (AAAB)
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 694
Barcelona
.TicketFree admission..OrganiserThe Support Agency for Architecture Barcelona (AAAB), in collaboration with Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Casa Asia and the European Institute of the Mediterranean..
http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=209409
********
Aga Khan Trust for Culture Hosts Jashne Khusrau Festival in Delhi
http://www.akdn.org/Content/1172/Aga-Kh ... l-in-Delhi
Concert Schedule
Full Schedule of Events (pdf)
Delhi, 11 February 2012 - As part of a major Urban Renewal project in the Humayun’s Tomb-Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti area of Delhi, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is hosting the Jashne Khusrau festival with the support of the Ford Foundation from 15 February onwards.
The urban renewal initiative links conservation of the built heritage with programmes to improve the Quality of Life for local communities.
Hazrat Amir Khusrau Dehlavi, the renowned 13th century sufi-poet, was the favourite disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. His remarkable legacy is entwined with the rich cultural heritage of the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti. Since 2008, AKTC has focused on documenting, researching, and disseminating this legacy and making it meaningful in the present context.
The performances will be held at the India Habitat Centre and at specially built venues of the 16th century Chausath Khambha in Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti and at the CPWD Sundar Nursery (near Humayun’s Tomb). During the festival, National Museum & National Archives will hold special exhibits focused on Hazrat Amir Khusrau. Doordarshan’s Bharati channel will telecast many of the performances live and also telecast archival recordings related to the legacy of Hazrat Amir Khusrau Dehlavi.
The February 2013 festival includes 10 performances (see below), as well as film screenings, exhibitions, discussions, lectures and heritage walks devoted to illustrating the impact of Hazrat Amir Khusrau Dehlavi’s legacy in folk and classical music.
The current festival follows the 2010 festival, which focused on Khusrau’s contribution to Quwwali music.
The schedule will also be available on the project Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/NizamuddinRenewal
Concert Schedule
Friday, 15 February: 6:30 PM- Amphitheatre, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Nasiruddin Saami (Khayal)
Saturday, 16 February: 6:30 PM Stein Auditorium, IHC
Performer: Folk & Classical Music by Rehana-Parween, Saira Begum & Gulshan Ara
Sunday, 17 February: 06:30PM Stein Auditorium, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Vidushi Kankana Bannerjee (Khayal)
Monday, 18 February: 6:30 PM- Amphitheatre, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Ghulam Muhammad Saaznawaz & Group (Kashmiri Sufiana)
Tuesday, 19 February: 6:30 PM Amphitheatre, IHC
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan (Khayal)
Wednesday, 20 February: 6:30 PM Amphitheatre, Sunder Nursery
Performer: Contemporary Music by Mekaal Hasan Band (Pakistan)
Thursday, 21 February: 6:30 PM Amphitheatre, Sunder Nursery
Performer: Ghazal by Tahira Syed
Friday, 22 February: 6:30 PM Chaunsath Khamba
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Shahid Pervez Khan (Sitar)
Saturday, 23 February: 6:30 PM Chaunsath Khamba
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan (Khayal)
Sunday, 24 February: 6:30 PM Chaunsath Khamba
Performer: Classical Music by Ustad Shujaat Husain Khan (Sitar)
The events are open to everyone.
Bamako, Mali
NATIONAL PARK OF MALI, BAMAKO
introduction
This is one of the two recent projects commissioned by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to mark the 50th anniversary of Mali's independence from France: the National Park of Mali in Bamako, with new buildings such as a restaurant, a sport centre and several entrance buildings, marking one of the most important civic projects ever to take shape in West Africa. Another project is the visitor's center adjacent to the Great Mosque of Mopti which is a remarkable example of the earthen construction and is recently restored (2006).
http://www.architectureindevelopment.or ... php?id=245
NATIONAL PARK OF MALI, BAMAKO
introduction
This is one of the two recent projects commissioned by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to mark the 50th anniversary of Mali's independence from France: the National Park of Mali in Bamako, with new buildings such as a restaurant, a sport centre and several entrance buildings, marking one of the most important civic projects ever to take shape in West Africa. Another project is the visitor's center adjacent to the Great Mosque of Mopti which is a remarkable example of the earthen construction and is recently restored (2006).
http://www.architectureindevelopment.or ... php?id=245
AKTC Restoration:
​Isa Khan’s Tomb to reopen after two years
Richi Verma, TNN Mar 31, 2013, 02.21AM IST
Tags:Sher Shah|PathwaysNEW DELHI: Restoration of the two 16th-century garden tombs in vicinity of Humayun's Tomb and part of the world heritage site belonging to Sher Shah Suri's courtier Isa Khan Niazi and Bu Halima, a lesser-known historical figure close to the Mughal royal family, is almost complete. Isa Khan's Tomb, where conservation work began in January 2011, will be reopened to the public on April 18, World Heritage Day.
"The complex will be thrown open on World Heritage Day in presence of minister for culture Chandresh Kumari Katoch," an ASI official said. As part of the Nizamuddin urban renewal initiative undertaken by Archaeological Survey of India and Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the conservation-cum-landscape project was implemented to restore the two structures and co-funded by World Monuments Fund.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... ritage-day
​Isa Khan’s Tomb to reopen after two years
Richi Verma, TNN Mar 31, 2013, 02.21AM IST
Tags:Sher Shah|PathwaysNEW DELHI: Restoration of the two 16th-century garden tombs in vicinity of Humayun's Tomb and part of the world heritage site belonging to Sher Shah Suri's courtier Isa Khan Niazi and Bu Halima, a lesser-known historical figure close to the Mughal royal family, is almost complete. Isa Khan's Tomb, where conservation work began in January 2011, will be reopened to the public on April 18, World Heritage Day.
"The complex will be thrown open on World Heritage Day in presence of minister for culture Chandresh Kumari Katoch," an ASI official said. As part of the Nizamuddin urban renewal initiative undertaken by Archaeological Survey of India and Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the conservation-cum-landscape project was implemented to restore the two structures and co-funded by World Monuments Fund.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... ritage-day
WORLD OF KHUSRAU, an exhibition at UP State Archives, Lucknow
Updated on ThursdayAga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the UP State Archives is organising an exhibition on the World of Khusrau at UP State Archives premises from 10 June till 30 June 2013. The inagural event includes release of exhibition catalogue and Qawwali by Nurul Hassan . On all the following sundays till 30 June there will be performances, lecture,poetry reading, film screenings realted to various aspects of the legacy of Amir Khusrau. All the events are open to public.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 107&type=1
Updated on ThursdayAga Khan Trust for Culture in collaboration with the UP State Archives is organising an exhibition on the World of Khusrau at UP State Archives premises from 10 June till 30 June 2013. The inagural event includes release of exhibition catalogue and Qawwali by Nurul Hassan . On all the following sundays till 30 June there will be performances, lecture,poetry reading, film screenings realted to various aspects of the legacy of Amir Khusrau. All the events are open to public.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 107&type=1
AKTC - Nairobi’s City Park project
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?article ... rk-project
Lands team probes Sh2.2b Nairobi’s City Park project
Updated Wednesday, August 21st 2013 at 21:42 GMT +3
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU
NAIROBI; KENYA: Parliament’s Lands Committee Wednesday began investigating the procedure used to pick a private investor to rehabilitate Nairobi’s City Park in a Sh2.2 billion project.
The MPs told the Lands Principal Secretary, Ms Mariamu El Maawy, that they were unclear as to why the investor was given a 25-year lease to work on City Park, yet the standard commercial lease was up to a maximum of six years.
They also sought to know if the investor – Aga Khan Trust for Culture – wanted to build a car park in the portion of City Park that has indigenous trees. The MPs also wanted the Principal Secretary to pinpoint whether the title deed of City Park was held by the Treasury or if it was held by the County Government of Nairobi.
“The committee has no objection to this development, but there are many issues around it which are very grey. We need these to be in black and white,” said Ms Esther Murugi (Nyeri Town MP), who chaired yesterday’s meeting.
But the Principal Secretary said there was a “model and a plan” to ensure the indigenous forests were preserved.
The MPs heard that the Aga Khan Trust for Culture had done similar projects in Cario, Kabul and Delhi.
Lands team probes Sh2.2b Nairobi’s City Park project
Updated Wednesday, August 21st 2013 at 21:42 GMT +3
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU
NAIROBI; KENYA: Parliament’s Lands Committee Wednesday began investigating the procedure used to pick a private investor to rehabilitate Nairobi’s City Park in a Sh2.2 billion project.
The MPs told the Lands Principal Secretary, Ms Mariamu El Maawy, that they were unclear as to why the investor was given a 25-year lease to work on City Park, yet the standard commercial lease was up to a maximum of six years.
They also sought to know if the investor – Aga Khan Trust for Culture – wanted to build a car park in the portion of City Park that has indigenous trees. The MPs also wanted the Principal Secretary to pinpoint whether the title deed of City Park was held by the Treasury or if it was held by the County Government of Nairobi.
“The committee has no objection to this development, but there are many issues around it which are very grey. We need these to be in black and white,” said Ms Esther Murugi (Nyeri Town MP), who chaired yesterday’s meeting.
But the Principal Secretary said there was a “model and a plan” to ensure the indigenous forests were preserved.
The MPs heard that the Aga Khan Trust for Culture had done similar projects in Cario, Kabul and Delhi.
devondispatch.ca/2014/03/27/13-million-fund-to-help-botanical-garden-prepare-for-increase-of-visitors
$13 million fund to help botanical garden prepare for increase of visitors
Thursday, March 27, 2014 3:45:45 MDT PM
Mersiha Gadzo
[email protected]
The Devonian Botanical Garden has been approved to receive $13 million in funds by the Alberta government as part of the province’s capital plan for 2014.
The university-owned garden will use the funds to update their infrastructure to prepare for the addition of a world-class Islamic garden.
“The garden is growing and with the addition of the Islamic garden, which is in its design stage, we need some basic infrastructure upgrades. This is in order to meet the increased capacity,” said Kerry Mulholland, communications coordinator at the garden.
The funding request was made by the University of Alberta in 2011 to help maintain infrastructure such as utilities, waste water treatment, electrical and gas service upgrades, parking and entrance requirements.
Upgrading the infrastructure will help the garden meet the anticipated increase of visitors once the Islamic garden opens.
In 2009, the Aga Khan, British business magnate and spiritual leader of the Ismailis, (a mystical sect of Shia Islam), presented a gift of an Islamic garden to the University of Alberta, after receiving an honorary degree.
The Islamic garden will be situated on approximately nine acres of land at the botanical garden, drawing influences from Islamic sites such as Agra’s Taj Mahal, Cairo’s Al-Azhar and Granada’s Al-Hambra.
The Aga Khan is the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), who work to empower communities and improve living conditions around the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, central and south Asia and the Middle East.
The network focuses on social, cultural and economic development.
AKDN’s annual budget for non-profit development activities in 2010 was around $625 million. The Islamic garden at the Devonian Botanical Garden will be one of two in Canada. The other, located in Toronto is scheduled to open next fall and will house the Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre.
The garden in Devon is expected to be completed in a few years.
“It will be a great, new exciting phase of development for the Botanical Garden,” Mulholland said. “It will be beautiful.”
$13 million fund to help botanical garden prepare for increase of visitors
Thursday, March 27, 2014 3:45:45 MDT PM
Mersiha Gadzo
[email protected]
The Devonian Botanical Garden has been approved to receive $13 million in funds by the Alberta government as part of the province’s capital plan for 2014.
The university-owned garden will use the funds to update their infrastructure to prepare for the addition of a world-class Islamic garden.
“The garden is growing and with the addition of the Islamic garden, which is in its design stage, we need some basic infrastructure upgrades. This is in order to meet the increased capacity,” said Kerry Mulholland, communications coordinator at the garden.
The funding request was made by the University of Alberta in 2011 to help maintain infrastructure such as utilities, waste water treatment, electrical and gas service upgrades, parking and entrance requirements.
Upgrading the infrastructure will help the garden meet the anticipated increase of visitors once the Islamic garden opens.
In 2009, the Aga Khan, British business magnate and spiritual leader of the Ismailis, (a mystical sect of Shia Islam), presented a gift of an Islamic garden to the University of Alberta, after receiving an honorary degree.
The Islamic garden will be situated on approximately nine acres of land at the botanical garden, drawing influences from Islamic sites such as Agra’s Taj Mahal, Cairo’s Al-Azhar and Granada’s Al-Hambra.
The Aga Khan is the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), who work to empower communities and improve living conditions around the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, central and south Asia and the Middle East.
The network focuses on social, cultural and economic development.
AKDN’s annual budget for non-profit development activities in 2010 was around $625 million. The Islamic garden at the Devonian Botanical Garden will be one of two in Canada. The other, located in Toronto is scheduled to open next fall and will house the Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre.
The garden in Devon is expected to be completed in a few years.
“It will be a great, new exciting phase of development for the Botanical Garden,” Mulholland said. “It will be beautiful.”
Mali - AKTC Parc
http://www.malijet.com/la_societe_malie ... au-de.html
Accueil | Société | Le 22 septembre 2014 au parc national du Mali rénove : Le joyau des rencontres festives et sportives a soufflé sur ses 4 bougies
Le 22 septembre 2014, le Parc National du Mali rénové par le Trust Aga Khan pour la Culture, l’agence culturelle du Réseau Aga Khan de Développement, a soufflé sur ses 4 bougies. A cette occasion, les directions d’AKDN à Bamako et du PNM ont invité les reporters des grands médias nationaux. C’était en présence de M. Yéhia Roshdy, de M. Ousmane R. Seye, DG de la Fondation Aga Khan pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et de leurs principaux collaborateurs.
Dans son mot de bienvenue, Mme Zahida Virani, Coordinatrice des programmes du Réseau Aga Khan de Développement (AKDN) pour le Mali et la République de Côte d’Ivoire a salué cet exemple concret de réussite du Partenariat-Public-Privé (appelé » PPP « ) et qui est la parfaite illustration de cette coopération exemplaire entre le Réseau Aga Khan de Développement et l’Etat malien. Le parc national est devenu incontestablement un haut lieu de rencontres des populations de Bamako, de toutes les tranches d’âge. »Dans son cadre verdoyant, les jeunes y organisent leurs pique-niques et leurs événements musicaux et sportifs. Jeunes et moins jeunes y pratiquent du sport, et les familles s’y retrouvent pour les fêtes de mariages, d’anniversaires, etc. « , a-t-elle signifié.
Mme VIRANI a aussi rappelé quelques extraits du discours prononcé par Son Altesse l’Aga Khan lors de l’inauguration de ce Parc le 22 septembre 2010 et je cite : » A l’image du Mali, ce Parc a pour vocation de perpétuer sa tradition de rencontres et d’échanges, tout en préservant le patrimoine naturel et les écosystèmes dont l’homme est le dépositaire, comme nous l’enjoint le Saint Coran » .
Et il a dit plus loin : « L’introduction d’espaces verts dans les villes représente une amélioration importante de la qualité de l’environnement et des conditions de vie de leurs habitants. Ce sont des espaces de loisirs et de rencontres pour tous les âges et toutes les catégories sociales, qui favorisent la mixité et l’intégration des différentes couches de la population. Et il s’est avéré qu’il s’agit de catalyseurs de l’activité économique et d’une source d’emplois directe et indirecte, notamment par les services mis à la disposition des visiteurs. »
La coordinatrice a aussi rappelé qu’avec l’inauguration en 2012 du zoo réhabilité, les amoureux des animaux et des oiseaux s’y retrouvent aussi, en très grand nombre pour admirer des centaines d’espèces d’animaux, d’oiseaux, de reptiles. Elle a terminé ses propos en rappelant les efforts incommensurables qu’AKTC déploie pour soutenir le Musée national du Mali, notamment à travers la reprise des activités des » Jeudis Musicaux » et les travaux d’éclairage. La visite des reporters s’est achevée au centre sportif du Parc National du Mali (PNM) qui vient d’être doté d’équipements sportifs de dernière génération, adaptés aux besoins des sportifs maliens. Ici, les sportifs, sortis en grand nombre, ont accueilli avec ferveur ces équipements de classe
Ibrahim Diallo
Chargé de communication, Afrique de l’Ouest
Réseau Aga Khan pour le développement (AKDN)
Source: Zénith Balé
Accueil | Société | Le 22 septembre 2014 au parc national du Mali rénove : Le joyau des rencontres festives et sportives a soufflé sur ses 4 bougies
Le 22 septembre 2014, le Parc National du Mali rénové par le Trust Aga Khan pour la Culture, l’agence culturelle du Réseau Aga Khan de Développement, a soufflé sur ses 4 bougies. A cette occasion, les directions d’AKDN à Bamako et du PNM ont invité les reporters des grands médias nationaux. C’était en présence de M. Yéhia Roshdy, de M. Ousmane R. Seye, DG de la Fondation Aga Khan pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et de leurs principaux collaborateurs.
Dans son mot de bienvenue, Mme Zahida Virani, Coordinatrice des programmes du Réseau Aga Khan de Développement (AKDN) pour le Mali et la République de Côte d’Ivoire a salué cet exemple concret de réussite du Partenariat-Public-Privé (appelé » PPP « ) et qui est la parfaite illustration de cette coopération exemplaire entre le Réseau Aga Khan de Développement et l’Etat malien. Le parc national est devenu incontestablement un haut lieu de rencontres des populations de Bamako, de toutes les tranches d’âge. »Dans son cadre verdoyant, les jeunes y organisent leurs pique-niques et leurs événements musicaux et sportifs. Jeunes et moins jeunes y pratiquent du sport, et les familles s’y retrouvent pour les fêtes de mariages, d’anniversaires, etc. « , a-t-elle signifié.
Mme VIRANI a aussi rappelé quelques extraits du discours prononcé par Son Altesse l’Aga Khan lors de l’inauguration de ce Parc le 22 septembre 2010 et je cite : » A l’image du Mali, ce Parc a pour vocation de perpétuer sa tradition de rencontres et d’échanges, tout en préservant le patrimoine naturel et les écosystèmes dont l’homme est le dépositaire, comme nous l’enjoint le Saint Coran » .
Et il a dit plus loin : « L’introduction d’espaces verts dans les villes représente une amélioration importante de la qualité de l’environnement et des conditions de vie de leurs habitants. Ce sont des espaces de loisirs et de rencontres pour tous les âges et toutes les catégories sociales, qui favorisent la mixité et l’intégration des différentes couches de la population. Et il s’est avéré qu’il s’agit de catalyseurs de l’activité économique et d’une source d’emplois directe et indirecte, notamment par les services mis à la disposition des visiteurs. »
La coordinatrice a aussi rappelé qu’avec l’inauguration en 2012 du zoo réhabilité, les amoureux des animaux et des oiseaux s’y retrouvent aussi, en très grand nombre pour admirer des centaines d’espèces d’animaux, d’oiseaux, de reptiles. Elle a terminé ses propos en rappelant les efforts incommensurables qu’AKTC déploie pour soutenir le Musée national du Mali, notamment à travers la reprise des activités des » Jeudis Musicaux » et les travaux d’éclairage. La visite des reporters s’est achevée au centre sportif du Parc National du Mali (PNM) qui vient d’être doté d’équipements sportifs de dernière génération, adaptés aux besoins des sportifs maliens. Ici, les sportifs, sortis en grand nombre, ont accueilli avec ferveur ces équipements de classe
Ibrahim Diallo
Chargé de communication, Afrique de l’Ouest
Réseau Aga Khan pour le développement (AKDN)
Source: Zénith Balé