Japan to provide Rs102m for conservation of Taxila Museum

Amount aims to promote cultural heritage of Gandharan Buddhism

ISLAMABAD:

Japan would provide new grant assistance worth Rs101.6 million for the enhancement of the antiquities conservation and exhibition capacity of Taxila Museum.

A signing ceremony for the assistance was held at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Islamabad on Friday. Ambassador of Japan WADA Mitsuhiro, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) KINOSHITA Yasumitsu, Ministry of Economic Affairs Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz and other officials from both countries attended the event.

The Taxila Museum is located in the middle of ancient Gandharan Buddhist ruins in Taxila, a UNESCO World Heritage site with Gandharan arts of great historical and cultural value. The museum preserves and exhibits the precious artifacts excavated in this area. As of now, only approximately 30% of the ruins at this site has been excavated, and the excavation is still under progress. However, there are insufficient facilities and equipment to display the increasing number of excavated works in the museum, as well as to prevent these artifacts from deteriorating.

This project aims to promote understanding of the history and cultural heritage of Gandharan Buddhism among domestic and overseas visitors.

It will also provide the Taxila Museum with the necessary equipment for improving its capacity for the conservation and exhibition of historical artifacts excavated from the Gandharan ruins. The project will facilitate cultural conservation, thereby contributing to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities).

Speaking on the occasion, WADA Mitsuhiro said, " Japan recognises the importance of cultural heritage and attaches great value to its preservation and supports Pakistan in this area as well. The ancient Gandhara civilization is very close to the heart of Japanese people and this project would attract more tourists to Pakistan in the future."

KINOSHITA said: " Taxila Museum has its own cultural identity and monumental historical significance. We hope that the upgraded Taxila museum will contribute to keeping the cultural heritage of Pakistan intact and making those accessible to researchers, scholars and students who would like to reconnect with the past and appreciate its monumental significance."

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2023.