U.S. embassy and the ministry of culture present the catalog of historical sites of Tajikistan

DUSHANBE, February 16, 2012, Asia-Plus – On Tuesday February 14, U.S. Ambassador to Tajikistan Ken Gross and Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan Mirzoshohrukh Asrori gave public remarks at a ceremony in honor of the newly published Tajikistan Historical Sites Catalog, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe said.

The English, Tajik, and Russian language catalog was funded by the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation and documents the most important sites with historic and cultural significance across Tajikistan.

The Ambassador's Fund project supported a two-phase project to survey and compile a catalog of important historical sites of Tajikistan.  The project started in September 2006 and was completed in December 2011.  The United States Government contributed a total of $61,800 to the historical site survey and book publication.

During the project, working groups with experts from the Ministry of Culture, Academy of Sciences, and Tajik National University recorded and evaluated more than 500 historical sites and monuments in all regions of Tajikistan.  Over 150 of those sites were included in the published catalog.

During the ceremony, the Ambassador said, “Since 2001, the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation has financed cultural preservation in more than 130 countries around the world. This project, which catalogs Tajikistan’s many historical sites, celebrates and preserves Tajikistan's rich history and culture.”

The Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation was created in 2001 to support the preservation of cultural heritage in partner nations.  Since its inception, the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation Program has funded eight projects in Tajikistan in the amount of more than $390,000, including the preservation of the 9th century Khoja Mashhad Madrassa and Mausoleum in Shahritous and the restoration of the largest Buddha statue in Central Asia.