Turquoise Mountain Foundation

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Turquoise Mountain Foundation (in Persian, Bonyad-e Firuzkuh) is a non-governmental organization operating in Afghanistan, legally established in Scotland as a component charity of The Prince's Charities. Based in Kabul, it has the three-fold objective of regenerating historic urban areas, renewing traditional Afghan arts and architecture, and spurring the sustainable development of the nation’s craft industry. It is named after Turquoise Mountain, the greatest indigenous Afghan capital of the Middle Ages.

The Turquoise Mountain Foundation was founded in 2006 at the request of HRH Prince Charles of Wales and HE Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,[1] to create jobs, skills and a renewed sense of national identity. Rory Stewart was the Executive Chairman until shortly after his election to the UK Parliament in May 2010.

The charity's 2008 income was £4.1 million.[2] Funding comes from a number of government agencies and private donors, including the Canadian International Development Agency,[3] United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Government of Afghanistan, the Government of India, the Blue Moon Fund, Reach Out To Asia, the Kathy Evans Afghan Education Trust, The Bonita Trust, The Prince's Charities, The Kingdom of Bahrain, HH The Amir of Kuwait, the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation (Saudi Arabia) and the British Council.[4]

Activities

Since 2006, Turquoise Mountain has:

  • Established the Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture, which comprises Schools of Woodworking, Calligraphy & Painting, Ceramics and Jewellery & Gem-Cutting.
  • Rebuilt homes, laid infrastructure, preserved historic buildings and opened a school and clinic in Murad Khane, the artistic quarter of Kabul’s old city.
  • Sold $1,000,000 in traditional Afghan arts and crafts in Afghanistan and abroad.

It has three primary programmes:

1. Education

In 2006 Turquoise Mountain established the Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture. The Institute was recently approved by City & Guilds and is therefore Afghanistan’s only internationally accredited vocational education institution. The Institute’s master craftsmen are training a new generation of artisans, as an essential part of the revival of Afghanistan’s economy and cultural identity.

The Institute, with a staff and student body of almost 200 people, is composed of four Schools:

  • School of Calligraphy & Painting
  • School of Woodwork
  • School of Jewellery & Gem-Cutting
  • School of Ceramics

2. Urban Regeneration

Murad Khane is a historic quarter of Kabul on the banks of the Kabul River, home to a multi-ethnic community and a thriving bazaar that attracts 10,000 visitors a week. Before Turquoise Mountain began working in the area, it was buried under two metres of rubbish, it had no running water, drainage or electricity, and the community’s homes were collapsing. In 2006, Turquoise Mountain was formally petitioned by the community of Murad Khane to preserve and restore the area. There is now a comprehensive regeneration programme, which is restoring historic buildings, installing infrastructure and working to provide basic healthcare, education and employment to the community.

Turquoise Mountain is implementing an integrated fully piped water treated sewage, electricity and water supply system which will provide running water for domestic and fire use, enclosed sewage removal and treatment and a reliable source of electricity in all of Murad Khane. In partnership with the Government of Afghanistan and the Kabul Urban Regeneration Project (KURP) this project will amount to the first system of its kind in the city and is intended to be a case study to be replicated in other areas of Kabul.

3. Business Development

The Business Development programme works to expand commercial opportunities for the Afghan crafts industry by linking high quality products to existing client demand abroad in its Design & Production Studio, which is equipped to produce large scale commissions, combining design and technical expertise in wood, ceramics, calligraphy and jewellery.

Examples of the commissions that Turquoise Mountain has completed include a suite, The Prince's Lodge,[5] in the Connaught Hotel, London.

References

  1. ↑ "The Turquoise Mountain Foundation becomes The Prince's 18th charity". Prince of Wales website. 25 March 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-28. 
  2. ↑ Turquoise Mountain Trust, Registered Charity no. SC037343 at the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
  3. ↑ Canada launches partnership with the Turquoise Mountain Foundation, Government of Canada - Afghanistan Task Force, 2008-06-09, retrieved 2010-01-02 
  4. ↑ Turquoise Mountain Brochure, Turquoise Mountain Foundation, 2009, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  5. ↑ The Prince's Lodge, The Connaught Hotel, retrieved 2009-11-23 

External links

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