Ambassador Wood Visits U.S.-Funded Mosque Renovation
Ambassador Wood Visits U.S.-Funded Mosque Renovation
Ambassador Wood highlighted the United States’ cultural and economic investment during his tour of the Goldasta Mosque September 4. This mosque, once restored, will be open from the first prayer of the day until the last, and we hope it will play a valuable role in the spiritual life of the people in this community. Ambassador Wood also met with community leaders who thanked him for this project, which created 6,000 workdays for local laborers and is helping revitalize the area.
Goldasta Mosque emerged from preliminary surveys of architectural sites in the old city as an excellent example of a late 19th century religious complex. Fierce fighting in 1993 destroyed documentation on its construction, although it is thought to stand on the site of an earlier religious building. While badly damaged, the high quality of workmanship is evident. After fighting ceased, residents of the neighborhood protected the Goldasta and certain other mosques, preventing the looting of valuable timbers and further damage.
The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation recognizes that the world’s cultural heritage is fragile and irreplaceable, requiring our stewardship in present times to preserve it for future generations. The preservation of history and culture occupies an important place in our hopes for Afghanistan’s future. Since its inception in 2001, the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation has supported seven projects in Afghanistan with close to one million dollars. Other projects include the restoration of the 17th Century Mullah Mahmud Mosque, as well as the establishment of the National Archives, preservation of Afghan music, a survey of the Historic Center of Kabul, and contributing to the restoration of Bagh-e-Babur. We will also be undertaking a significant restoration project of the Citadel in Herat, the single largest project ever funded by the Ambassador’s Fund since it began.