US Consulate's principal officer Bryan Hunt emphasised the importance of preserving "shared global heritage" as he announced on Friday a $50,000 grant, under the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, to conserve the shrine of Hazrat Jalalud Din Bukhari at the historic city of Uch, a small town located 75 kilometers from Bahawalpur in the Punjab province.
"The exceptional architecture of this 15th century shrine needs to be conserved, not only for the thousands of devotees who visit every year at the time of the Urs, but for the future generations," stressed the senior US diplomat.
The Provincial Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Pir Syed Saeedul Hasan Gillani, as well as shrine caretaker Makhdoom Syed Sultan Jahanian Bukhari and members of the Bahawalpur district administration, were also present at the ceremony. The grant papers were signed earlier by American and Pakistani officials.
"The grant serves as a symbol of America's respect for other cultures and traditions," Hunt stated. "The project, likely to be completed by September 2008, includes major repair work including replacement of all wooden columns, beams and tile flooring."
Uch commands great reverence as a city of renowned Sufi saints. The domed brick-built shrine is decorated with glazed blue tiles in floral and geometric designs. The structure, including four other similar monuments forming a compound, is on Unesco's World Heritage list.
In addition to the Uch Sharif shrine, the US Embassy under the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation has funded the conservation of a number of other projects in Pakistan. These include the Sirkap Site and Jinnan Wali Dehri in Taxila; Masjid Mahabat Khan and Gor Khuttree in Peshawar; also Pashto Manuscripts preservation at the University of Peshawar; Maan Singh Haveli, Rohtas Fort in Jhelum; and the bazaar of the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore.-PR