Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme: Monument Conservation

Unlike other agencies which restrict themselves for internally valid reasons to the site of a specific monument, the Historic Cities Programme interventions couple the monument with its site and also with the associated community or district. This is done purposefully on the assumption that monuments without inhabitants adjacent to them are actually archaeological sites. This is a holistic approach to conservation and development that sees these monuments as assets and springboards for economic development. Preservation of tangible heritage goes hand-in-hand with community development. At the same time, while carrying out area development projects around key monuments, the Programme has been keen to avoid the creation of districts that become outdoor museums, where activities are orchestrated for the visiting public but which, by the same token, lose their own intrinsic local character and place within their larger context.