Hyderabad: Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador A Elizabeth (Beth) Jones visited the Paigah Tombs Complex here and announced USD 250,000 US government project to support the conservation and restoration of six tombs built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Supported by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), it is the fifth such conservation project funded by the US Consulate in Hyderabad.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture will implement the project, a release here said on Tuesday.
Ambassador Jones said, “This may be my first visit to Hyderabad, but it is not the first time the US government has supported the conservation and restoration of significant historical sites in the city.
We are proud to be part of the Government of Telangana’s efforts to conserve these magnificent monuments and I’m grateful to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture for all of its efforts here and throughout India”.
After announcing the new project, Ambassador Jones received a tour of the Paigah Tombs from Ratish Nanda, Chief Executive Officer, Aga Khan Trust for Culture India. They were joined by US Consul General Jennifer Larson.
Larson said “I had the good fortune to inaugurate one of our earlier AFCP projects at the Qutb Shahi Tombs during my first week in Hyderabad. By working together with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the State of Telangana, we are able to ensure the integrity of these unique cultural sites for generations to come.”
The US Department of State created the AFCP in 2001 to demonstrate American values and respect for other cultures.
Since its creation, the AFCP has provided financial support to more than 1,100 projects in 133 countries around the world.
The US Embassy recently commemorated 20 years of cultural collaboration with India through the AFCP with guests from the Ministry of Culture, the private sector, and civil society, at a special celebration in New Delhi on November 29.
In India, the American people have invested more than USD 2 million over the past two decades for the documentation, conservation, and restoration of 23 key historic sites and intangible heritage, the release added.
