Turquoise Mountain Foundation
Encyclopedia
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, 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. Funding comes from a number of government agencies and private donors, including the Canadian International Development Agency
, 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
.
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:
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, in the Connaught Hotel, London.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
operating in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, legally established in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as a component charity of The Prince's Charities
The Prince's Charities
The Prince's Charities is a group of twenty not-for-profit organisations of which HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron or President, eighteen of which were founded personally by The Prince. The group is supported by The Prince's Charities Foundation....
. Based in Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, 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
Turquoise Mountain
The Turquoise Mountain is the lost Afghan capital of the Middle Ages. It was reputedly one of the greatest cities of its age, but was destroyed by Ögedei Khan, son of Genghis Khan, in the early 1220s and lost to history. It has been proposed that the magnificent Minaret of Jam, in Shahrak...
, 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
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to create jobs, skills and a renewed sense of national identity. Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart
Roderick 'Rory' James Nugent Stewart OBE FRSL MP DUniv is a British academic, author, and Conservative politician. Since May 2010, he has been the Member of Parliament for Penrith and the Border, in the county of Cumbria, North West England.- Overview :Stewart was a senior coalition official in a...
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. Funding comes from a number of government agencies and private donors, including the Canadian International Development Agency
Canadian International Development Agency
The Canadian International Development Agency was formed in 1968 by the Canadian government. CIDA administers foreign aid programs in developing countries, and operates in partnership with other Canadian organizations in the public and private sectors as well as other international organizations...
, United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID), the Government of Afghanistan, the Government of India, the Blue Moon Fund, Reach Out To Asia
Reach Out To Asia
Reach Out To Asia is a Qatari-based non-profit organization that empowers local communities by providing access to quality primary and secondary education to children affected by crisis across Asia...
, the Kathy Evans Afghan Education Trust, The Bonita Trust, The Prince's Charities
The Prince's Charities
The Prince's Charities is a group of twenty not-for-profit organisations of which HRH The Prince of Wales is Patron or President, eighteen of which were founded personally by The Prince. The group is supported by The Prince's Charities Foundation....
, The Kingdom of Bahrain, HH The Amir of Kuwait, the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation (Saudi Arabia) and the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
.
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 KhaneMurad KhaneMurad Khane is a district of the old city in Kabul, Afghanistan. It lies near the Kabul River-History:The origins of the city lie in its development in the 18th century by Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire....
, 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
Kabul River
Kabul River , the classical Cophes , is a 700 km long river that starts in the Sanglakh Range of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Afghanistan and ends in the Indus River near Attock, Pakistan. It is the main river in eastern Afghanistan and is separated from the watershed of the Helmand by the Unai Pass...
, 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, in the Connaught Hotel, London.