LAHORE, July 11: Under the United States Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, a grant of $31,843 has been allocated to the Punjab Archaeology Department to conserve and restore Alamgiri Gate at the Lahore Fort.

US Consulate Principal Office Bryan D Hunt visited the gate on Wednesday along with Punjab Archaeology Department officials.

Talking to reporters on the occasion, Mr Hunt said the US was honoured to be part of the renovation project of Alamgiri Gate. He said deaths due to a military operation at Jamia Hafsa were regrettable.

The fund was created by the US Congress in 2001 as a sign of American’s respect for other cultures and traditions.

Public Affairs Officer Kathleen Eagen said the US had funded seven projects in Pakistan, which included preservation of Gor Khuttree, Mohabat Khan Mosque, Rohtas Fort, Wazir Khan Mosque, an ancient monastery site in Taxila, the ruins of Sirkap in Taxila and Alamgiri Gate at Lahore Fort.

Shahbaz Khan, Punjab Archaeology Department director general, thanked the principal officer for the US funding.

He said the major components of conservation would be carried out at Alamgiri Gate, which included the restoration of vanished fresco design works of interior of the gate, replacement of decayed wooden beams of the door using the same design nails and iron strips, removal of superficial layers of colour wash, dismantling of decayed lime plaster, nicking of solid parts of plaster for glazed lime plaster, treatment of door with special anti-termite chemical and complete documentation of the pre-conservation and post-conservation work.

Mr Khan said the grant would be given in three instalments. The first instalment of Rs607,800 has been released. The project will be completed by March 31, 2008.

Alamgiri Gate was built in 1674 by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir at the time Badshahi Mosque was also constructed by the fort. The gate is a huge four-storey structure with 7—foot minarets.