Lahore Fort sites to be restored with US funds

US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome inaugurated a US government-funded cultural preservation project at the Lahore Fort during his visit to Lahore.

With a grant of $982,500 from the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), seven sites at the Fort would be restored, namely, the famous picture wall, the Loh Temple, the Sikh temple, the Zanana Masjid, the Sehdara Pavilion, the Athdara Pavilion and technical work at the grand Sheesh Mahal.

“The US Mission is proud to partner with the Walled City of Lahore Authority and the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan for preservation of the magnificent Lahore Fort. The Fort symbolises the rich cultural, historical and religious heritage and diversity of Lahore, Punjab, and Pakistan,” said Ambassador Blome.

Founded in 2001, the AFCP preserves historical and cultural treasures under threat from environmental pressure or lack of resources.

The AFCP has so far funded more than 1,000 projects in 133 countries, including 32 cultural preservation projects across Pakistan, at a total cost of $7.6 million.

The restored sites include Buddhist monasteries, Hindu monuments, Sufi shrines, and relics of the Mughal Empire. Ambassador Blome also expressed gratitude to the Aga Khan Cultural Service-Pakistan for its restoration efforts.

While touring the seven sites at the Lahore Fort, the ambassador paid respects to Pakistan’s cultural heritage, commenting that these projects were a testament of the US and Pakistan’s joint commitment to cultural preservation.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2023.