Babur's Garden Rehabilitation Framework - Aga Khan Development ...

has been lowered on its southern end to a level closer to the original, while the modern roof structureover the grave itself has been removed. Marble elements from the various tomb enclosures revealed duringrecent removal of paving adjacent to the mosque, have been documented and stored, pending theirpossible re-use in the rehabilitated structures.Rehabilitation of perimeter wallingA programme of labour-intensive repairs was initiated in spring of 2002, since when the eastern andnorthern ranges of earth perimeter walling have been rehabilitated, with funding from the government ofGermany. Work continues on the rehabilitation of the southern range of walling. Investigations in thearea of the caravanserai have revealed original footings, which will form the basis for its rehabilitationas a visitor's complex, incorporating a new lower garden entrance.Operational planningPreliminary consultations have taken place with representatives of Kabul Municipality and the Ministryof Information & Culture regarding the formulation of an operational plan for the management of therehabilitated garden as a public facility. This includes options for the adaptive re-use for the Pavilion andQueen's Palace, as well as the possible re-location of the modern swimming pool within or outside of thegarden.Research and documentationEfforts continue to identify and copy documentation related to the history of the garden, in order toensure an appropriate degree of accuracy in the rehabilitation work. Building on the work undertaken byIsMEO during the 1960s, images and written material have been have been sourced from BibliotecaAfghanica (Switzerland), the British Library, British Museum, Royal Military Museum (UK) and theNational Archives in Kabul. Additional searches are under way for material from, among other places,the Archaeological Survey of India.9