Essanoor Associates

16/03/2026

The Swat Valley, known in early Buddhist sources as Uddiyäna and Orgyan, is shaped by fertile alluvial soil, abundant groundwater, and a climate that has lon...

04/03/2026

22/02/2026

The British Council convened the Pakistan Heritage Exchange at Alhamra, Lahore, bringing together heritage practitioners, policymakers and community custodians from across Pakistan, the UK and South Asia to strengthen collaboration and protect cultural heritage at risk.
Across two days of dialogue and hands-on exchange, conversations explored climate change, urbanisation and the power of community-led approaches in safeguarding Pakistan’s rich cultural landscape.
The programme concluded with the first-ever Lahore performance by Ustad Noor Bakhsh, a powerful celebration of living tradition and the enduring spirit of cultural heritage.
Essanoor Associates with their partners participated in two panel discussions and workshop :
01: CPF pilot Project in Pakistan
02: Public Private Partnership Model of Heritage Conservation inHeritage of the Swat Valley
Workshop Asad Monga, Areesha Khwaja, Noor ul Ain, Imaan Habib for Art residency and launching of season 01 along a published Zine available online.
The project Heritage of the Swat Valley was presented through the work of intangible stories by Film maker Mr. Salman Khan.
Along exhibition of various medicinal plants and crafts of Stone carvings by Ramzan Kaka.
The initiative is supported by cultural protection fund. In partnership DGOAM KPK, Italian archeological mission, HERITAGE.
For more insights: https://www.heritageoftheswatvalley.com/en/artResidency
General of Archaeology & Museums, KPBritish CouncilThe Heritage Management OrganizationISMEOBritish Council Pakistan

21/02/2026

21/02/2026

The British Council convened the Pakistan Heritage Exchange at Alhamra, Lahore, bringing together heritage practitioners, policymakers and community custodians from across Pakistan, the UK and South Asia to strengthen collaboration and protect cultural heritage at risk.

Across two days of dialogue and hands-on exchange, conversations explored climate change, urbanisation and the power of community-led approaches in safeguarding Pakistan’s rich cultural landscape.

The programme concluded with the first-ever Lahore performance by Ustad Noor Bakhsh, a powerful celebration of living tradition and the enduring spirit of cultural heritage.

Essanoor Associates with their partners participated in two panel discussions and workshop :

01: CPF pilot Project in Pakistan
02: Public Private Partnership Model of Heritage Conservation inHeritage of the Swat Valley

Workshop Asad Monga, Areesha Khwaja, Noor ul Ain, Imaan Habib for Art residency and launching of season 01 along a published Zine available online.

The project Heritage of the Swat Valley was presented through the work of intangible stories by Film maker Mr. Salman Khan.

Along exhibition of various medicinal plants and crafts of Stone carvings by Ramzan Kaka.

The initiative is supported by cultural protection fund. In partnership DGOAM KPK, Italian archeological mission, HERITAGE.

For more insights: https://www.heritageoftheswatvalley.com/en/artResidency

General of Archaeology & Museums, KPBritish CouncilThe Heritage Management OrganizationISMEOBritish Council Pakistan

24/01/2026

The Swat Valley, known in early Buddhist sources as Uddiyāna and Orgyan, is shaped by fertile alluvial soil, abundant groundwater, and a climate that has long supported subsistence farming alongside local markets. Systems of both food and healing function here as a living archive: linking timelines, eras, religions, and people through cultivation, cooking, and care.

So excited to share how we experienced this land together as an artist, a chef, an anthropologist, and a photographer through food, memory, and making.

Music: Pashto Folk Song on Rabab by

The Wild Grains and Sacred Herbs Residency is an initiative of Heritage of the Swat Valley - a collaborative project led by Essanoor Associates in partnership with the Italian Archaeological Mission in Pakistan (ISMEO / Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) , The Heritage Management Organization , and the Directorate General of Archaeology & Museums, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa .

Funded by the Cultural Protection Fund. With special thanks to Serena Hotels for their support of the residency.

Credits:

24/11/2025

Fabio Lazzarin (Tabla) and Angelo Sorato (Flute), Venetian musicians with 40-year journey exploring the music of South Asia, performed at the closing ceremony of the Pakistan Pavilion Fr (agile) systems during the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.
This closing ceremony event, organized by Essanoor Associates, celebrates cultural integration, harmony, and the cross-exchange of ideas and musical traditions.

22/11/2025

Closing ceremony of the Pakistan Pavilion, (Fr)Agile Systems, at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale 2025.

The event will take place on 23 November 2025, from 15:00 to 17:00, at Spazio 996/A.

The afternoon will open with a curator’s talk by Mustafa Mehdi, co-curator of the pavilion, followed by a musical performance featuring Angelo Sorato (flute) and Fabio Lazzarin (santoor).

Your presence would be deeply appreciated as we mark the conclusion of this year’s participation and celebrate the work, conversations, and collaborations that shaped the Pavilion.

19/11/2025

Heritage of the Swat Valley The Preservation of Buddhist Rock Reliefs in the Swat Valley Project once again shined on the global stage at COP30
Our community-based conservation efforts and the resilience shown in safeguarding this invaluable heritage were highlighted as a model for sustainable cultural preservation.
This achievement was made possible only through the strength of our international and local partnerships. The success and the celebration belongs to all our partners who have supported and empowered this journey. The Heritage Management Organization ISMEOO Directorate General of Archaeology & Museums, KP
Special thanks to Cultural Protection fund British Council. British Council Pakistan – British Council

Before COP30 concludes, celebrate the community spirit championing Swat Valley’s ancient Buddhist rock carvings 🌟

Despite surviving for over a millenium, these carvings face the risk of disappearing due to climate change and urbanisation in Pakistan.

However, efforts from Essanoor Associates and local partners have seen to immediate first aid conservation for the most at-risk sites, as well as building long-term resilience via
📋training artisans and local heritage professionals
🔍creating +100 intricate digital replicas
🎞️filming docs to keep the spiritual meaning of these sites alive.

🔗https://ow.ly/ThFS50Xs1uX
📸Essanoor Associates

With support from the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund - safeguarding cultural heritage at risk due to conflict and/or climate change.

07/11/2025

We’re proud to share the successful digitization of the historic Brahmanical Temple site in Swat, a ground-breaking project that virtually preserves one of Pakistan’s remarkable archaeological treasures using advanced digital technologies.

This multidisciplinary effort brought together experts in architecture, conservation, digitization, heritage management, and photography.
Combining national and international expertise to safeguard our shared cultural legacy.

Recognized by the Archaeological Institute of America’s journal Archaeology as one of the Top 10 Discoveries of 2022, the site stands as a testament to Pakistan’s vibrant heritage and history.

This initiative was carried out under the ALIPH Foundation Project: “Saving the Archaeological Site of Bazira, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan”, operated by ISMEO (Italian Archaeological Mission) and led by Dr. Luca Maria Olivieri and Dr. Elisa Iori, in collaboration with Essanoor Associates (Shoaib Muhammad, Kashif Essa, Maryam Shah, Zobia Tanveer, Shahina Musa (CIQAM), and Shams Uddin).

📸 Together, we’re preserving the past for future generations !

Directorate General of Archaeology & Museums, KP

07/11/2025

Proudly presenting our partnership with Pakistan National Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia Managing & Hosting exhibition Titled (FR)AGILE SYSTEMS, the is not only a reminder of the stark inequity of a crisis that continues to weigh down hardest on regions that have historically had the least to do with causing it, but also a reiteration of the imperative to rethink climate resilience as an adaptation process attuned to the asymmetries and imbalances of an interconnected world.

Thanks to the amazing curators, Arslan Rafique, Anique Azhar, Ayesha Sarfaraz, Bilal Kapadia, Mustafa Balti, Salman Javed, Madiha Merchant for their trust in us.

Discover the Pakistan Pavilion in Venice, Spazio 996/A, Castello 996/A, Fondamenta Sant'Anna → bit.ly/Pakistan_BiennaleArchitettura2025
Visit until November 23 → bit.ly/Tickets_BiennaleArchitettura2025