Public Lecture: Preserving the Old City of Herat and its Surroundings

Abstract
Herat, the regional capital of Western Afghanistan, is an ancient city with a large historic architectural ensemble which is on the Tentative List of World Heritage sites with UNESCO. The lecture reviews the preservation activities of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture from 2005 to 2011. It presents current research that involved multiple surveys of the city’s experts, stakeholders, and selected residents to propose an approach to preserving and restoring the historic landscape of Herat. Special attention is paid to the old mosques. Protecting the city’s architectural heritage as an asset for future generations requires sound policies based on research and a balanced approach that integrates housing and economic activity and sustainable conservation practices.

About the speaker:
Dr Ghulam Mohammad Asim is a Non-Resident Research Fellow at the Afghanistan Research Initiative. He holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Intelligent Engineering Systems from the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan, where he completed a master's in civil engineering and is currently a postdoctoral researcher. His research is on ‘The Material Transformation Analysis of Mosques in Herat Old City, Afghanistan", which addresses the protection and maintenance of the historic town's architectural, natural and cultural features. The project uses the cities of Kyoto and Nara, Japan, as references for policy development. He is co-author of “Material Transformation Analysis of Mosques in Herat Old City, Afghanistan,” Sustainability, 16, 2024.

Moderator: Dr Bohdan Krawchenko
Director of Afghanistan Research Initiative,
Senior Research Fellow, Graduate School of Development,
University of Central Asia

Format: Online
Language: English
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88067033714?pwd=rDyR3DOFFz9KMbqKSUnQKbXxnCfepq.1
Passcode: 810923