“The initiative to start APAA was a call from the heart.”
Our goal is to bring understanding and raise awareness as well as ensure the promotion of the Afghan Archaeological and Cultural Heritage. This goal is realized through its teaching in schools and public venues internationally, including in Afghanistan and in the Afghan and multi-cultural Bay Area community. Our work also consists in promoting and assisting in the education of the international public about the inherent value of archaeological treasures to cultural identity, and to specifically focus on the plight of Afghan people regarding the loss of their cultural heritage.
Through APAA Dr.Tarzi is assisting in educating the younger generations as well as the older ones. This is done by publishing children and scientific books as well as provide education and training programs and tools in Afghanistan to future Archaeologists so they may in turn become self reliant and efficient Professionals of the trowel and skilled restorers. Finally, APAA hopes to inspire future generations in having the incentive to learn about, protect and preserve their unique heritage and further educate themselves and others on the importance and value of archaeological and historical heritages.
President
Dr. Zemaryalai Tarzi
Professor of Eastern Archaeology
Strasbourg University, France
Founder & Executive Director
Nadia Tarzi
Public Relations
Secretary-Treasurer
Cyane Dandridge
SEIINC Executive Director
Director
Dana King
CBS5 Eyewitness News Anchor
Director
Professor David Stronach
UC Berkeley Archaeology Department
AIA 2004 Gold Medal Award recipient
Director
Dr. Arlene Blum
Mountaineer and founder of Arlene Blum Leadership
Director
Donna Strahan Head of Conservation
Metropolitan Museum, NYC
Director
Yann Ischi
Engineer
Mr. Omar Sultan
Deputy Minister of Information and Culture of Afghanistan
Mr. Omar Khan Massoudi
Director of Museums of Afghanistan
Mr. Nader Rasouli
Director General of the Archaeology Institute of Afghanistan
Dr. Bertille Lyonnet
C.N.R.S (Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Paris France)
Dr. Sanjyot Mehendale
Executive Director of CCAsP, UC Berkeley
Dr. Fariar Kohzad, Ph.D., CPEng., MIEAust
Cecile Chiquette, CPA, RINA Accountancy
Nazi Etemadi, Founder Afghan Relief Organization
Heidi Reischuck, Special Book Project Manager
Jessica Kruger, Special Translation and Editing Project Manager
Tony Saccardi, Special Multimedia Project manager
The APAA, Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology, was founded by Nadia Tarzi in December of 2002 in the State of California, U.S.A. The initiative to create the Association was a call from the heart and brought together a father's expertise and a daughter's passion. A non-profit organization with the 501C3 status, APAA is dedicated to the Archaeology and Cultural Heritage of Afghanistan. APAA's goals are to bring understanding and raise awareness thus ensuring the promotion of the Afghan Archaeological and Cultural Heritage through its teaching in schools and public venues internationally including in Afghanistan, in the Afghan and multi-cultural Bay Area community. Our work also consists in promoting and assisting in the education of the international public about the inherent value of archaeological treasures to cultural identity, and to specifically focus on the plight of Afghan people regarding the loss of their cultural heritage. The APAA will therefore combine diffeent approaches in educating the younger generations as well as the older ones, by publishing childrens books and organize International Cultural events. APAA is concerned with the lack of professional training in the sciences of archaeology, restoration and conservation and aims at providing thorough assistance in these areas. Finally, as the archaeological heriatge of Afghanistan is in peril, APAA aims at sounding the alarm loud and far and calls everyone to get involved and help SAVE the archaoelogical heritage of Afghanistan NOW.
Born in 1939 in Kabul, Professor Zemaryalai Tarzi completed his studies under the supervision of Professor Daniel Schlumberger, where he obtained three PhDs.
From 1973 to 1979, he was Director General of Archaeology and Preservation of Historical Monuments of Afghanistan. He later directed the excavations in Bamiyan and Hadda on the sites of Tape Shotor and Tape Tope Kalan. As a result the statue of Heracles in the niche V2 of Tape Shotor was dated by him from the 2nd century A.D., contemporary with the schist sculptures of Gandhara. Exiled in France in 1979, he has been Professor of Eastern Archaeology at the Marc Bloch University of Strasbourg, France (Strasbourg II: previously University of Human Sciences) since. Professor Tarzi is the author of some sixty articles and books.
Through this Association Professor Tarzi will assist in training young Archaeologists into becoming Professionals of the trowel and efficient restorers, providing them with the necessary tools and equipment thus giving hope and education to a country left in the dark for a quarter of a century of war. Raising awareness in the Afghan and International communities about the unique and beautiful Archeological and cultural contribution Afghanistan has given to the world and its protection is one of APAA’s goals. A goal which has been Professor Tarzi’s fervent mission for the past 40 years.
He is presently Director for the French Archaeological Missions for the Surveys and Excavations of Bamiyan, the mission which is co-funded by National Geographic Society has been incorporated in the UNESCO master plan for the Safeguarding of the Bamiyan Site.
Since 2002 the Archaeological Survey and Excavation Campaign in Bamiyan, Afghanistan is funded for Professor Tarzi, Director of the Mission , by the Division des Sciences Sociales et de l'Archéologie, a division of the Coopération Internationale et de Developpement (DGCID-SUR/RSA) at the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, Paris, France (MAE) . France has a strong friendship and commitment to Afghanistan which began regarding archarology as early as 1922 with the Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan (DAFA). Well known Professor Daniel Schlumberger fomer Director of the DAFA was also Professor to Zemaryalai Tarzi who produced on of his three thesis under his mentorship in 1972
The National Geographic Society has partenered with the APAA to lent support to APAA president Professor Tarzi for his Bamiyan archaeological Missions for 2003-2006. The APAA is looking forward to a long term relationship with National Geographic Society which will enable scientific research to progress in Afghanistan. The National Geographic Society played an vital role in bringing the "Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan" Exhibit to the United States of America, 2008-2009.
The Hymalayan Fair has contributed generously to APAA's orphanage programs. APAA is looking forward to a long term relationahsip with the Himalayan Fair and commends the committee for paying a special attention to the lonely children of a country too often forgotten.
Roy Nee, founder and owner of the famous Tea garden Springs Spa in Mill Valley, California has lend his support to APAA numerous times and in many ways, most of all Roy Nee has maintained a genuine interest and loyalty to the protection of Afghanistan cultural and archaeological heritage. APAA is very thankful to Mr. Nee and is looking forward to continue working together.
Tony and Sam Abrahim founders and owners of Khyber Pass (formerly IMGhome) are twin brothers from Afghanistan. They have generously organized fundraising events for APAA in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The first evnet on April 30th 2004 was opened by the kind words of SF Mayor Gavin Newsom in company of SF French Consul General Frédéric Desagneaux, Chief Curator of the SF Asian Art Museum Forrest Mc Gill, KQED CEO and President Jeff Clarke, National Geographic Society Film and TV Senior Vice President Maryanne Culpepper to name a few. Tony and Sam Abrahim have expressed interest and commitment to APAA through future events to further raise awareness and funds for the protection of Afghanistan's cultrual and archaeological heritage. APAA thanks Tony and Sam for their kindness and commitment and is looking forward to working toegether in the future.
APAA is funded also in great part by the generous donations in kind and in cash from many wonderful individuals whose concern and compassion for Afghanistan, its people and cultural heritage resonate with the APAA dedication and commitment.
Please come back and visit, tell your friends and look for news on our accomplishments in Afghanistan. Thank you for your support!