The Prince of Wales Charities:Turquoise Mountain

SUMMARY

Developers are threatening to demolish the medieval cities of Afghanistan; the last masters of traditional Afghan arts are dying; high unemployment is breeding extremism; Afghans need jobs, skills, economic opportunities and a renewed pride in their national culture. The Turquoise Mountain Project will conserve a section of a medieval city, work with householders to improve living conditions, restore ancient buildings and create an academy to preserve and develop traditional skills.

The project will provide vocational training, improve the living conditions of poor citizens, conserve heritage, foster the export market for Afghan goods and lay the foundations for tourism. The Turquoise Mountain (Firuzkuh in Dari) was the greatest indigenous Afghan capital of the middle ages, destroyed by Ogodei, son of Genghis Khan in ca. 1220-22 and lost to history. Its only surviving monument is the magnificent Minaret of Jam. The name of the project evokes Afghanistan's unique tradition of art and architecture.

Cultural Programmes

The Turquoise Mountain Foundation is establishing itself as a leading centre for the arts and culture of Afghanistan both nationally and internationally. In addition to the Higher Education Institute for Afghan Arts & Architecture in Kabul, the Foundation has developed a strong programme of cultural activities that include exhibitions, lectures, music, theatre and poetry evenings. The exhibitions programme is an essential way of promoting the arts of Afghanistan to the wider world, and offering opportunities for Afghan artists to show and market their work, as well as a way of encouraging dialogue between cultures. The recent success of the Foundations first international exhibition Ink from Ashes: Contemporary Calligraphy from Afghanistan has demonstrated the high level of interest in the arts and culture of Afghanistan across the world. The Foundation is planning to take this exhibition to the UK and the United States, followed by an exhibition of contemporary art from Central Asia which will open in Kabul in 2008 and then tour to Pakistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. This year, the Foundation will hold an exhibition of calligraphy responding to the verse of Jelalludin Rumi, Afghanistans most famous poet, whose 800th year anniversary falls in September 2007.

The Foundation runs an international skills exchange programme for artists, architects and craftsmen through the Higher Education Institute for Afghan Arts & Architecture. In 2006-7 there have been visits from American, Australian, British, Canadian, German, Indonesian, Pakistani, Spanish and Swedish art specialists and practitioners.

The Turquoise Mountain Cultural Programme is an essential part of the Foundations mission to promote and support the arts and culture of Afghanistan, creating opportunities for Afghans to develop their skills, exchange ideas and practices with international artists and craftsmen, and reach new international audiences.

The Prince of Wales Charities:Turquoise Mountain Website at:

http://www.turquoisemountain.org