In early 2003, conservation began of the 16th-century Bagh-e Babur in Kabul, where the first Mughal Emperor Babur is buried. Now managed by an independent trust, the restored 11-hectare garden has re-established the historic character of the site with its water channels, planted terraces and pavilions. It also provides the population of Kabul with a space for recreation and cultural events.

The bulk of physical works was completed by 2007. Since then the facilities – including a swimming-pool, garden pavilion, caravanserai and Queen’s Palace complex – have been in public use. In addition to the conservation work in Bagh-e Babur, investments have been made in upgrading basic infrastructure for residents of the surrounding neighbourhood. Since the introduction of a new system of management under the Bagh-e Babur Trust, with participation from Kabul Municipality, the Ministry of Information and Culture and AKTC, there has also been an appreciable increase in revenue.

In order to ensure that the restored landscape and monuments can be maintained to appropriate standards, the Trust aims over time to achieve financial sustainability by generating revenue from entrance fees and appropriate public events.

Located in a busy commercial area in central Kabul, conservation of the 18th-century Timur Shah Mausoleum commenced in 2003. In addition to safeguarding an important historic landmark, the project has enabled the training of Afghan professionals and craftsmen, as well as the reclamation of a sizable garden around the monument, which had over recent years been encroached upon by informal traders.

Since its conservation, the mausoleum has been regularly used for public meetings and exhibitions. Visitors can again use the park, which stretches down to the Kabul River and has been replanted with mulberry trees, as in the original garden.

The Asheqan wa Arefan neighbourhood takes its name from an important shrine at its centre. It represents one of the last surviving clusters of historic fabric in the Old City, which suffered massive damage in the early 1990s. Since 2003, 11 homes and 15 historic public buildings have been conserved, and the living conditions of more than 60 households improved through access to small-scale grants and building advice in this and adjacent areas.

Upgrading measures include the paving of alleyways and selected streets, along with the construction of drains and improvement of water supplies. This rehabilitation has benefited nearly 20,000 residents and generated some 80,000 days of employment, while the conservation works have enabled over 60 apprentices to train under the instruction of 15 master-craftsmen and 65 skilled labourers.

Efforts have been made to protect and upgrade public open space through the Old City. In the case of Zarnegar Park, to the north of the old city, a degraded space has been transformed through re-planting, installation of irrigation, paving and provision of public facilities. The Park now provides a shady respite on a daily basis for thousands of visitors.

Amongst the socio-economic initiatives supported in the Old City are home-based training and literacy courses for women, and the operation of a restored community bath-house, whose revenue is used to meet the costs of neighbourhood upgrading. A second bath-house is currently under restoration. AKTC staff continue to work closely with members of the Kabul Old City Commission to oversee development in the historic fabric, as well as providing technical support to planners from Kabul Municipality and the Ministry of Urban Development. In 2008, work began on the formulation of a planning framework for the Old City and on proposals for a national policy for urban heritage preservation, with support from the World Bank.

Chihilsitoon Garden, a 12.5-hectare site, is Kabul’s largest historic public garden.

Heavily damaged in 1979-1980, the site remained unused and neglected in the years that followed. It continued to be used by the general public for basic recreational and sports activities and formed one of the most important public gardens in the city even in its dilapidated condition.

From 2015 to 2018 we rehabilitated Chihilsitoon Garden and Palace to provide high-quality public spaces for social and cultural interaction, educational programming, and sport and recreational activities. In the wider neighbourhood surrounding the Garden, we also invested in drainage upgrades and socio-economic training initiatives to underpin the long-term sustainability of the site and ensure improved environmental conditions and livelihoods and an equitable distribution of resources.

The Garden now provides users with high-quality landscapes and building spaces capable of containing and promoting the rich and diverse forms of social, cultural and economic expression manifested in Afghanistan.

The Garden rehabilitation was a collaboration between AKTC, the Government of Afghanistan and German Federal Foreign Office/KfW.

The fabled 19th-century Stor Palace (also known as the Qasre Storay) has been restored to its former grandeur by AKTC in collaboration with the governments of Afghanistan and India. The conservation project, which employed more than 300 Afghan craftsmen and labourers and generated 282,000 days of employment, was completed in 2016.

The restoration process encompassed a comprehensive physical survey, reconstruction of the roof, restoration of decorative elements, and upgrading of the heating, electrical and plumbing services.

The Kabul Riverfront Transformation (KARIT) Project supports urban planning, the creation of high-quality public spaces, and the rehabilitation of historic industrial architecture to be re-used as facilities for contemporary activities that provide economic and cultural benefits for the residents and traders of central Kabul.

The Bala Hissar military complex embodies one of the most significant surviving historic structures and landscapes within the centre of Kabul. It is one of the few remaining extensive open spaces within the Old City boundary. It exemplifies a finite and fragile heritage asset, intricately linked with both the foundation and tempestuous historical development of the country.

Whilst the early origins of the Bala Hissar are still largely unknown, it is probable that a defensive or military settlement in some form has been present on the site as early as the pre-Achaemenid period (Bronze Age). Ancient Kabul may have been referred to under the name of Kabura by Ptolemy in 160 BC and was perhaps also the city of Ortospana as recorded by the Greek geographer Strabo (64 BC-AD 2) in his work Geographica (7 BC).

The environs surrounding the Bala Hissar are characterised by the presence of numerous Kushan (first-fourth century CE) monastic complexes. Historical accounts of Arab Muslim invaders refer to “a borough possessing a solid fortress known for its strength” during the late 10th century. Babur, on capturing the citadel in 1504, refers extensively to the site in his memoirs, the Baburnama. However, the impressive upstanding ruins visible today are predominantly of 18th- and 19th-century origin, with a few surviving mid-16th-century Mughal architectural elements scattered across the site.

This project aims to undertake consolidation and conservation on structures requiring immediate and mid-term attention. The long-term project will eventually see the whole Bala Hissar complex rehabilitated as Kabul’s largest public managed open space and the city's first designated heritage or archaeological park. It may also provide additional insights into the origins of the Bala Hissar’s foundation.

The ongoing large-scale rehabilitation work is financed by the ALIPH Foundation, with initial support provided by the Indian Government. The other partners are the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA), Florence University Department of Architecture (DIDA) and the HALO Trust.