Turquoise Mountain
Twenty-five years of war has had a destructive impact on the traditional crafts of Afghanistan. Turquoise Mountain’s centre for traditional Afghan arts and architecture is now working to protect and restore this proud tradition.
His Excellency President Hamid Karzai
Turquoise Mountain was founded in January 2006 by our joint presidents, HRH The Prince of Wales and HE President Hamid Karzai, with the three-fold goal of regenerating a historic area of Afghanistan's capital, training men and women in Afghan traditional arts, and spurring the sustainable development of the nation’s craft industries.
Murad Khane, a multi-ethnic commercial and residential precinct in Kabul's Old City, was slated for demolition under a 1970s masterplan for Kabul. By 2005, this once-vibrant area was under two metres of garbage, had no clean water or proper sanitation, and saw historic houses collapse weekly from lack of maintenance. Through Turquoise Mountain’s efforts, Murad Khane is now listed as one of the hundred Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Fund, protected by presidential decree, and the site of activities that employ nearly all the area's unemployed residents. It has removed garbage, installed drainage and paving, repaired residents’ houses, and restored a number of historic buildings in the area. Its efforts in Murad Khane blend development and cultural heritage to create a new cultural and economic hub for the capital.
Turquoise Mountain has also established the Higher Education Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture, bringing together leading Afghan craft masters to develop indigenous design and train a new generation of artisans. The Institute’s Schools of Calligraphy, Woodwork and Ceramics now train over seventy young women and men. They also teach literacy, English, and business skills, preparing students to succeed as artisans and entrepreneurs. Within two years, the Institute will move into historic and new buildings in Murad Khane, spurring the further regeneration of the area.
The charity’s business development programme, which began in 2007, links the products of the Institute’s schools and other Afghan artisans to national and international markets, improving quality, production and marketing.
From an initial staff of four, Turquoise Mountain now employs over 250 Afghan men and women. It operates in partnership with the Murad Khane community, the Office of the President, the Ministries of Urban Development, Education, and Information and Culture, the Municipality of Kabul, and Kabul University.
