Al-Qahira Castle Restoration Project: AFCP-Funded & U.S. Mission Support, through the Spanish organization Heritage for Peace.

Waeey Organization for Heritage and Development organized an awareness seminar at Taiz National Museum Building today. The event brought together several community initiatives, activists, and heritage enthusiasts, most notably, Yemen Heritage and Tourism Initiative, Community Peace Initiative, Fingerprint Good Initiative, Fresh Air Initiative, Basmat Hayat Initiative, Light Art Initiative, and Yemen Future Initiative, and several interested individuals, alongside some experts from the organization and the Authority. In the seminar, Eng. Anis Ghailan, the Head of Waeey Organization, reviewed the distinct cultural and architectural heritage of Taiz city, most notably Al-Qahira Castle, which shows the city’s ancient history. He also addressed the damage that affected the castle and the threats resulting from climate change risks, stressing the critical need for concerted efforts and the involvement of local communities, institutions, and community initiatives to preserve this ancient historical landmark.
Furthermore, Eng. Anis briefed the attendees on the conservation and protection efforts being undertaken by the competent authorities and international organizations. These efforts are demonstrated by the continued restoration initiative for Al-Qahira Castle, which aims to enhance its cultural resilience, which is funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), and supported by the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Yemen, which is implemented in partnership with the Heritage for Peace organization and the Authority for Antiquities and Museums. He concluded by highlighting the vital role of this project, which will remain etched in the memory of generations for its contribution to the conservation and preservation of one of Yemen’s most important archaeological sites. He called upon the initiatives and attendees to fulfill their community role in preserving this significant archaeological landmark in Taiz city, given its strong historical connection and great symbolism for people in Taiz and Yemen in general, as the responsibility for preserving this Monument. His call met with positive interaction by the attendees, who expressed their full readiness to leverage the capacities of the youth within the initiatives for collective and participatory work in serving and preserving Taiz’s heritage.
The attendees then expressed their satisfaction and appreciation for the restoration project at the Castle, and their high gratitude for the generous support provided by the Ambassadors Fund and the efforts made by the supporting partners and project implementers, demanding Waeey Organization and the Antiquities Authority to arrange a visit for them to Al-Qahira Castle to learn more about the current project activities. At the end of the seminar, Eng. Anis Ghailan extended his gratitude to the attendees, appreciating their engagement and readiness to contribute to awareness activities, and affirming the necessity of involving local communities in strengthening efforts to preserve the cultural and architectural heritage of Taiz.