A survey of the archaeological and architectural sites in the Wakhan was undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in 2007. The oral testimony project which collected the folk tales was undertaken in 2008 by the Aga Khan Foundation with the support the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The oral testimony project was funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and represents part of their continuing commitment to the promotion of sustainable cultural tourism in Afghanistan.
The story "Mountains of Shirin-o-Farhad" by Baharak is used with the kind permission of Tahir Shah, originally appearing in 'Afghanistan of the Afghans', by Sirdar Ali Akbar Shah.
From the preface:
"In a country whose rich social history and built heritage remains relatively undocumented, the remote Wakhan region, whose topography and climate render it inaccessible and deter settlement, remains largely 'off the map'. This modest booklet aims to address this invisibility, by putting into print, in the first section, several folk tales recounted by members of the pastoral Wakhi and nomadic Kyrgyz communities who inhabit the region where Afghanistan meets China, Pakistan and Tajikistan. It is the soaring Pamir mountain range, rather than the modern frontiers, that defines a region which remains a melting-pot of cultures and beliefs." - Jolyon Leslie
Miller, Andy. "Tales from the Wakhan: Folklore & Archaeology of the Wakhan Corridor". Kabul: Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2009.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture
