 The Center has been conducting a cooperative project to support the rehabilitation of cultural heritage in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of its wider cooperation project scheme for the conservation of cultural heritage in West Asia. Cultural heritage is always in danger of destruction or missing because of wars, social confusion postwar period, or regional development with nation-building. Cultural heritage in Afghanistan and Iraq are in the exact situation.
For the recovery of cultural heritage severely damaged by the long political disturbance which lasted more than twenty years in Afghanistan, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan has, by setting up an advisory conference composed of researchers and experts in September 2002, started to seek concrete means of support for the preservation and restoration of Afghani cultural properties and has sent a mission to Kabul headed by the Director General of this Institute. In early 2003, requested by the Agency, the Institute sent its staff members to the Kabul National Museum to provide training on photography and image data processing techniques necessary for its research activities. Concerning the Bamiyan site, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided to contribute to the preservation of the site utilizing the UNESCO/Japan Trust Fund for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage. The Institute will also provide technical cooperation to this project.
In relation to the project, the Center also conducts dating and analytical research of pigments of Buddhist mural paintings of the Site.
Besides, in December 2004, the Center organized the third Expert Working Group on the Preservation of the Bamiyan Site. In coujunction with the conference, it also organized the International Symposium Protecting the World Heritage Site of Bamiyan and introducing several activities concerning the protection of Bamiyan Site.
Training of personnel
In Afghanistan and Iraq, a large number of cultural heritage for all human beings exist, but the heritage are in danger of destruction or disappearing because of international and civil wars. In spite of the critical situation, specialists who investigate and preserve cultural heritage are lacking. Thus in 2004, the Center invited six specialists on conservation and restoration of cultural property, building preservation and archaeology from Afghanistan and Iraq.
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Bamiyan site
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| Former West Buddha (Photo taken by ODAKA Sen'nosuke in 1932) |
Destroyed West Buddha
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Center 
Cooperative Project for Conservation and Restoration of the Cultural Property in West Asia 
