Historic and cultural treasures of Lahore’s fabled Walled City – left in a state of decay for over 100 years – are being brought back from the brink and along with that an improved quality of life.
Watch a short interview with Haider Ali on the developments in his home, the Walled City, and pursuing a profession in conservation.
Watch a short interview with Zeina Naseer on restoring one of the world’s largest murals and what preserving cultural heritage means to her.
Glimpse into the magnificent Walled City of Lahore where one of the largest restoration projects in Pakistan is being undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
As part of the 16th Spring of Culture Festival in Bahrain, the Aga Khan Master Musicians were engaged for a six-day residency consisting of participatory music-making workshops for high school students, masterclasses with local musicians and a public concert.
The Nizamuddin Basti Renewal project by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) revived history and rebuilt lives, achieving 15 out of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Conservation of over 20 historic monuments took place alongside the sustainable development of the area and communities. Explaining how the project incorporated community development into heritage conservation, Ratish Nanda, the CEO of AKTC and Project Director of the Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative said, “we are trying to develop a historic city centre model where conservation and development that includes education, sanitation, employment, and urban development goes hand in hand. We are looking at heritage as an asset, not as a burden. And, we are demonstrating that through our projects.”
Jean Baptiste Clais, a curator at the Louvre Museum in Paris, visited the historic Lahore Fort this week to view the restoration being undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) recently held an exhibition of 20 artworks made on the conservation effort being undertaken by it at India International Centre, New Delhi. Titled "The Portraits of Conservation" these paintings illustrate views of the monuments as they were expected to appear post conservation or as they had once appeared. The artist behind these works, Himanish Das worked with AKTC on conservation projects, starting with some projects in Mehrauli, and eventually being involved with Humayun’s Tomb and many other monuments in Delhi and Hyderabad. Talking about architecture and art, Dast said "I believe these are our irreplaceable assets and should be preserved for the future generations."
The Aga Khan Museum has made "transformative" upgrades to both its online and in-person education programmes, thanks to a Resilient Communities grant of more than CAD$86,000 (USD$68,000) from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The grant has allowed the museum to expand its curriculum-linked school visits programme into the virtual sphere, making it accessible to classroom and home learners. “With the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we boosted the reach and impact of our intercultural education programmes at a time when students and teachers are actively searching for innovative, engaging, and impactful experiences that meet their needs and are easily accessible on demand,” said Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, the Museum’s director and CEO.
The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) presents Kumbi Saleh 3020 CE, a monumental sculpture constructed from over 100,000 black LEGO from 5 February. In early 2021, the Aga Khan Museum’s acquisition of Kumbi Saleh 3020 CE by Ghanaian-Canadian artist Ekow Nimako made headlines around the world. HMAAC is the first opportunity for audiences to see the sculpture outside of Canada. According to Aga Khan Museum Curator Michael Chagnon, Kumbi Saleh 3020 CE advances the Museum’s mission to “bridge culture through the arts and foreground cultural narratives that often remain unheard.” For HMAAC, “this sculpture allows the museum to continue its participation in global conversations that are occurring throughout the African Diaspora,” said HMAAC CEO John Guess, Jr.