Speech by Prince Rahim at the Aga Khan Qutb Shahi Heritage Park completion ceremony

Bismillah-ir-rahman-i-rahim

Honourable Chief Minister of Telangana,

Honourable Minister of Tourism and Culture

Honourable Members of Parliament

Madam Principal Secretary,

Excellencies,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

May I begin by extending my gratitude to the government and people of India and Telangana for their warm welcome and hospitality.

This magnificent ensemble of pavilions, gardens, stepwells and mausolea within viewing distance of the Golconda Fort is, first of all, a testament to the skill, talent and ingenuity of the people of this city and their forebears. Together with others from near and far, they have demonstrated their commitment to enable the past to inspire the future.

This site is the final resting place of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, which governed Hyderabad for 169 years. As we see when we look around us here, the Qutb Shahis were not only remarkable builders. They were also great patrons of arts and learning.

It is in bringing forth and enhancing that legacy, that the Government of Telangana and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture have worked together to create a unique site, unparalleled in its grandeur, diversity, and completeness. The support, commitment, and dedication of the Telangana government has made this a strong and fulfilling partnership, for which we are deeply grateful.

To our generous donors and partners – the Ministry of Tourism of the Government of India, Tata Trusts, the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, IndiGo Reach, and the German Consulate – are due our warmest appreciation for their support and resolve to preserve and revive this inheritance for the benefit of the whole world.

Twelve years of complex restoration and conservation efforts by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in this joint venture has conserved almost 100 monuments, and revitalised the landscape and ecology across this 106-acre site.

As we pause for a moment to take in the splendour of this achievement, let us reflect on the energy and dedication of the multidisciplinary team that has undertaken the work.

Craftsmen, using traditional tools, building materials, and valued craft skills, have strived to match the stucco work from five centuries ago.

Landscape architects, ecologists, horticulturists, and gardeners have planted over 10,000 trees, creating an ecological buffer to the heritage zone. Another 5,000 trees are planned.

Six baolis, two of which were discovered recently, were cleared, desilted, reconstructed and restored, and now contribute to a surplus of water to irrigate and maintain the gardens. Since 2022, over 20 million litres of rainwater have been collected annually.

We are honoured to have been instrumental in creating the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park. In doing so, we not only recognise the art, architecture and engineering prowess inscribed in the history of this city, but also address future environmental and climate challenges which are not just cultural or scientific, but concerns of primary urgency.

Beyond the restoration of the built heritage, the strength of this collaborative endeavour lies in its combination of landscape and garden design. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture has created or restored ten major parks and gardens around the world following the guidance of His Highness the Aga Khan, concerning our responsibility to protect the natural world, and to respect the power and mystery of nature.

Indeed, one of the ethical principles of the Aga Khan Development Network, a group of agencies that seek to improve the welfare and prospects of people around the world, is to work towards a sustainable environment, in its physical, social, and cultural dimensions.

Today’s ceremony does not mark the end of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s presence in Hyderabad. We are engaged with the Government of Telangana on five other projects in the city, including the Paigah Tombs and the State Assembly. We are also in discussions to establish a management trust for the operations and maintenance of this Heritage Park.

Our work here is part of a multisectoral commitment of the Aga Khan Development Network, and organisations under the direction of the Ismaili Imamat, to the people of Telangana. It remains our hope that our endeavours in education, early childhood development, women’s development, climate action, and disaster risk resilience can continue, under a structured framework, to improve the quality of life for all the people of Hyderabad and Telangana.

I therefore greatly look forward to returning to this beautiful city and to its warm and generous people in the future.

Tomorrow, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture will inaugurate the Humayun World Heritage Site Museum in Delhi, which will enhance the visitor experience to Humayun's Tomb and Sunder Nursery. A site museum is also planned here, at Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, which will serve both the Park and the Golconda Fort, and which will present the achievements of the Qutb Shahi dynasty.

While His Highness the Aga Khan could not be here today, I find it appropriate to end with his words:

“Creating green spaces in urban areas constitutes a significant improvement in the quality of the environment and people’s living conditions. They are leisure spaces and meeting places for all ages and all social categories, encouraging different segments of the population to mix and integrate. And they have proved to be catalysts for economic activity and a source of employment, both directly and indirectly, particularly through the services provided for visitors.

Even as we look back in time at a moment like this – so we should also look thoughtfully ahead.

Even as we sense today the influence of the distant past, so we should also think of generations yet unborn - people who will live here and people who will visit, and who will see this site as a gateway to their own history.”

Thank you.