Press release
U.S. Embassy to Support Mongolian Treasure Amarbayasgalant Monastery
The U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce that it will contribute $86,200 to the Arts Council of Mongolia for preservation of the 18th Century Amarbaysgalant Monastery. These funds are provided through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, and will be used to help protect the monastery from the serious dangers of fire and theft. The Arts Council will begin work on this project in June 2009.
Amarbayasgalant Monastery is a critical part of Mongolia’s cultural and historical heritage. Now almost 250 years old, it is one of the few remaining historical wooden architectural structures in the country. The Ambassador’s Fund project will provide for a comprehensive assessment of the monastery’s fire safety and security systems, development of architectural drawings, development of plans for new electrical and security camera systems, installation of fire extinguishers and fire safety equipment, and documentation and registration of cultural artifacts and manuscripts preserved at the monastery.
Since 2002, the Fund has contributed $175,000 to fund cultural preservation in Mongolia. Three projects have targeted archaeological sites, two have helped preserve monasteries, and one helped support a collection of folk, artistic, and traditional literary and local dialectical treasures of Mongolia’s pastoral nomads.
The Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation was established in 2001, and since then has supported more than 500 projects to preserve cultural heritage in more than 100 countries. Together, the Fund has contributed more than $16 million towards global cultural preservation.
For more information about this program, please contact Otgon Yo. at 11-312-376.