Swat Museum renovated with Italian Govt assistance, opens after six years
Thursday, December 11, 2014 – Swat—Swat Museum that was razed to ground six years ago by the militants opened here Wednesday after due renovation and repairs. Directorate of Archaeology and Museums Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expects that opening of the museum would help revive the archaeological tourism in Swat valley.
Situated in Saidu Sharif, Swat Museum has been renovated with assistance of Italian Government under its Archaeological mission ‘Archeological Community Tourism (ACT-Field School Project)-an enormous support in the Archaeology and Tourism sector of Swat valley.
The newly renovated Museum was formally opened by Italian Ambassador, Andriano Chiodi Cianfarani in a ceremony organized by Directorate of Archaeology and Museums in collaboration with Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at local hotel in Swat. Advisor to Chief Minister for Tourism, Archaeology, Sports, and Youth Affairs, Amjad Khan Afridi was also attended the ceremony.
The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Director Archaeology and Museum Dr Abdul Samad, Additional Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs, Arshad Khan, Direc-tor Italian Archeological Mission.
Speaking on the occasion, the director of Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan, Dr Luca Maria Olivieri, said that a part of the building of Swat Museum was demolished while another part was rehabilitated and included in the new construction. He said that the new building of the museum was designed according to anti-seismic principles, which made it structurally the most advanced building of its kind in Pakistan.
Usman Ulasyar, chairman of Suvastu Arts and Culture Association, and director archaeology and museums, Dr Abdul Samad Khan told journalists that the museum was an institution where people could learn about their history and cultural heritage.
They said that Swat Museum was one of the best museums in the country that had a large number of collections of Gandhara civilization.
Tourists would visit the scenic valley after reopening of the museum, they added.
