|
The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) is a college of the University of London and the only Higher Education institution in the UK specialising in the study of Asia, Africa and the Near and Middle East. Uniquely combining language scholarship, disciplinary expertise and regional focus, it has the largest concentration in Europe of academic staff concerned with Africa, Asia and the Middle East. | |
Published May 17, 2001 |
The purpose of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) is to safeguard the extraordinary and threatened architectural heritage of Nepal. With seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in a tiny area, the Kathmandu Valley boasts a concentration of monuments and townscapes of an importance almost unmatched in the world. The unique syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist cultures which gave rise to these monuments survives today in Nepal making their protection, repair and maintenance as "living monuments" all the more compelling. | |
Published: June 24, 1999 Last Updated: March 13, 2002 |
Lhasa has official status as one of the historic cities of China. But apart from the major monuments and temples, individual buildings and historic townscapes (alleyways, squares etc.) are not protected. In a pilot project carried out in 1996, the Tibet Heritage Fund and Lhasa Archive Project organized, funded and supervised the restoration of two ancient buildings on the Barkor, both originally scheduled for demolition. Traditional techniques and materials were revived, and old craftsmen, educated in the 1940s, were employed as consultants. | |
Published August 31, 1996 Last updated July 21, 2000 |
The Patan Museum displays the traditional sacred art of Nepal in an illustrious architectural setting. Its home is an old residential court of Patan Darbar, one of the royal palaces of the former Malla kings of the Kathmandu Valley. Its gilded door and window face one of the most beautiful squares in the world. The residential palace compound of Keshav Narayan Chowk which houses the museum dates from 1734. The Museum opened to the public in July 1997. 9/6/99: Complete documentation of the concepts, construction and realisation of the new Patan Museum. | |
Published August 10, 1997 Last updated September 6, 1999 |
|