Stamps for Aga Khan awards

Stamps for Aga Khan awards

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday signed a series of
stamps to mark today's presentation of the Aga Khan awards for
architecture at the Royal Palace in Surakarta (Solo).

The commemorative stamps will be formally launched today.

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, visited
the President at the Merdeka Palace yesterday on the eve of the
ceremony.

During the meeting, he was accompanied by Minister of
Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro and the chairman of
the Association of Indonesian architects, Suntana.

One of the 12 awards will be presented to the Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport for its landscape design.

The awards were established in 1977 to identify and encourage
building concepts that successfully address the needs and
aspirations of Muslim societies.

They recognizes examples of architectural excellence
throughout the Muslim world in the areas of contemporary design,
social housing, community improvement and development, land
restoration and re-use, conservation and landscape design.

Accompanying Aga Khan on this visit is his daughter, Princess
Zahra Aga Khan who is responsible within the Aga Khan's
secretariat for programs supported by the Ismail Muslim community
relating to social welfare, youth and women's activities.

Previous projects in Indonesia that have won the award include
the Kampung Improvement Project in Jakarta and Kampung Kali Code
in Yogyakarta. (emb)