Federal Republic of Germany to finance the restoration of a historic shrine in Balkh
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Ambassador Rüdiger König and Mr. Ajmal Maiwandi, CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
(© German Embassy/Paaksimaa)
On April 19, 2012, Mr. Ajmal Maiwandi, CEO of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Ambassador Rüdiger König signed an agreement for financial support of the restoration of the historic Khwaja Parsa shrine in Balkh.
The shrine, located in a park in the city centre of Balkh, was constructed in the late 15th century and marks the burial site of the islamic scholar Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa. The structure with its characteristic ribbed dome stands about 25 metres high and dates back to the late Timurid era. The shrine with its adjacent modern-era buildings is continuing to serve as a site for congregation. The project, funded by the Cultural Heritage Preservation Programme of the Federal Foreign Office, aims in a first step at stabilizing the existing structure. In a second phase, the historic shrine will be restored and the modern-era concrete adjoing buildings replaced with ones constructed in a style in preserving the historic ensemble.
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Khwaja Parsa shrine in Balkh
(© picture-alliance / Ton Koene)
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is an agency of the Aga Khan Developmen Network, whose goal is to promote social development. AKTC’s focus is on the physical, social, cultural and economic revitalisation of communities in the Muslim world.
