Turquoise Mountain- Regenerating Kabul’s Old City & Afghanistan’s Traditional Crafts
Turquoise Mountain- Regenerating Kabul’s Old City & Afghanistan’s Traditional Crafts
Please join the Harvard Club of the United Kingdom for a fascinating talk about Afghanistan featuring Shoshana Stewart, CEO of Turquoise Mountain, in honor of Harvard’s Month of Global Service.
Turquoise Mountain was established in 2006 by Rory Stewart OBE MP, under the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales and the President of Afghanistan. Turquoise Mountain’s aim is to revive Afghanistan’s traditional crafts and to regenerate Murad Khani, a historic area of Kabul’s Old City known for its rich cultural heritage. It is named after Turquoise Mountain, the greatest indigenous Afghan capital of the Middle Ages.
Wednesday April 29th
7pm - 8:30pm
Google UK
Central Saint Giles
1 St. Giles High Street
WC2H 8AG
Tickets
Members- £10
Non-Members- £15
Afghanistan was once a great centre of civilisation at the heart of the Silk road. It inherited the traditions of India, Persia and Central Asia and blended them into a unique artistic culture. Beginning in the 1970s, decades of conflict almost destroyed these rich artistic and architectural traditions. In the time of the Taliban, many artisans were forced to flee the country or give up their craft. Skills, once handed down through families, were lost as materials became scarce and of poor quality.
Until recently the Old City of Kabul was buried under two metres of garbage, had no running water, drainage or electricity, and its houses and historic buildings were in ruins and under threat from developers.
Turquoise Mountain has transformed Murad Khani, a district of the old town, from slum conditions into a vibrant cultural, educational and economic hub. It has restored 65 significant historical buildings and installed full water supply, electricity and sanitation to the community. A primary school and health clinic have also been established to ensure residents have access to health and education services.
Importantly, the organization founded an Institute of Traditional Afghan Arts and Architecture with four craft schools- calligraphy and miniature painting, woodwork, jewelry and ceramics.
The school trains over 200 men and women each year as part of Turquoise Mountain’s mission to train a new generation of artisans, and revive all but forgotten craft techniques and designs. Students are trained by some of the greatest living Afghan masters and draw inspiration in their classes from the finest historical Afghan works of art.
Turquoise Mountain products are sold both locally and internationally, helping to revive and maintain Afghanistan’s traditional arts and crafts industry and providing a sense of pride, vocation and income for hundreds of families. Since it started, the organisation has sold nearly $2.3 million in traditional Afghan crafts and worked with some of the world’s finest designers. Recent retail partnerships have been forged with Monsoon and the British Museum in the UK and Kate Spade in the US.
Shoshana Stewart
Shoshana is the CEO of Turquoise Mountain, where she has worked since 2007. Prior to Turquoise Mountain, Shoshana worked as teacher and administrator in low-income urban communities with Teach For America and Uncommon Schools in New York City, Boston and Honduras. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Astrophysics, a Master's Degree in Education, and an MBA from the London Business School.
