Turquoise Mountain Foundation

Turquoise Mountain Trust (in Persian, Bonyad-e Ferozkoh) is a non-governmental organization operating in Afghanistan, legally established in Scotland. It has the three-fold objective of regenerating historic urban areas, renewing traditional Afghan arts and architecture, and spurring the sustainable development of the nation’s craft industry. It is named after Turquoise Mountain, the greatest indigenous Afghan capital of the Middle Ages.

Turquoise Mountain was founded in 2006 by Prince Charles of Wales in partnership with President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. Turquoise Mountain is a non-profit, non- governmental organization specializing in urban regeneration, business development, and education in traditional arts and architecture. It provides jobs, skills, and a renewed sense of national pride to Afghan women and men. Rory Stewart was the Executive Chairman until shortly after his election to the UK Parliament in May 2010.

The charity's 2008 income was £4.1 million. Funding has been provided by a number of government agencies, public and private donors, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Government of Afghanistan, the Government of India, the Blue Moon Fund, Reach Out To Asia, the Kathy Evans Afghan Education Trust, The Bonita Trust, The Prince's Charities, The Kingdom of Bahrain, the Amir of Kuwait, the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation (Saudi Arabia) and the British Council.

Since 2006, Turquoise Mountain has:

1. Set up Afghanistan’s premier arts education institution, the Turquoise Mountain Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture, which has trained over 250 artisans in traditional arts and which won the 2013 award for best vocational art training centre in Afghanistan from the Afghan Government TVET section. Students graduate from three-year programmes with a vocational diploma recognised by the Afghan Ministry of Education and an internationally accredited City & Guilds certificate. A total to 187 artisans (48 female, 139 male) have graduated since 2009.

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