Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ARCH International)

What Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ARCH International) does

ARCH International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2011 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with a sister organization (ARCH Europe) established in Austria in 2023. It restores, protects, and provides public access to cultural heritage sites and traditions in post-conflict regions — including the Shrine of Nahum in Iraq, the Pavlopetri underwater city in Greece, the Mes Aynak Buddhist site in Afghanistan, and the Annahütte Alpine Lodge spanning Austria, Slovenia, and Italy. Operations are led by a six-person core staff that draws on an on-demand network of archaeologists, engineers, diplomats, lawyers, mining experts, and former senior government officials, including former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova (Special Advisor) and former U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad (Director).

The organization's portfolio spans physical restoration, intangible heritage preservation, and educational/advocacy products. Physical work is delivered through on-site conservation projects executed with engineering partners such as GEMA and local authorities including the Greek Ministry of Underwater Antiquities. Digital and educational assets include ArcGIS-powered StoryMaps virtual tours, multi-lingual audio tours with geo-tags, a three-part documentary series broadcast on Ariana Television Network in English/Dari/Pashto, and the children's book "Musiqar - The Magical Bird." Productized concepts include the copyrighted "Rumi Gardens" template (designed with Lee and Associates for international replication) and the PATH Consortium, focused on traditional plant-based healing knowledge preservation, including the Ibn Sina Garden of Health and Healing in Uzbekistan.

Revenue is generated through a mix of tax-deductible donations processed via PayPal, restricted government project grants (notably a $2.5 million, three-year U.S. Department of State award for the Shrine of Nahum), and commissioned educational content (e.g., the Qatar National Library's E-Course on Prevention of Illicit Trade in Antiquities). The organization markets through a broad, content-led channel mix spanning its website, social platforms, quarterly newsletter, public events (Watch Days, Rumi Day, ARCH-Europe Salon), and earned media, while distributing services through direct field engagement with government ministries and communities in target geographies.

Name

Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ARCH International)

Legal name

Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ARCH International)

Website

https://archinternational.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ARCH International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that restores and protects cultural heritage sites in post-conflict regions including Iraq, Afghanistan, Greece, and Central Asia, serving governments, communities, and the public via field conservation, educational content, and an on-demand expert network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Conservation

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI), Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB), Cultural & Community-Based Lodges (Indigenous/Local Conservancies) (THAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage preservation
• Post-conflict restoration
• Heritage conservation services
• Archaeological site protection
• Cultural heritage education

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tax-Deductible Donations: ARCH is a 501(c)(3) registered non-profit. Donations are fully tax-deductible and represent the primary funding source for operations and projects.
2. Project Sponsorships: Government sponsors fund specific projects. The Shrine of Nahum restoration was a three-year, $2.5 million project sponsored by the U.S. government.
3. Educational Content Commission: ARCH receives commissions to create educational content, such as the E-Course on Prevention of Illicit Trade in Antiquities commissioned by Qatar National Library for heritage professionals and border police in Afghanistan.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ARCH International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that restores, protects, and makes accessible heritage sites and cultural traditions in post-conflict regions, with a mission to foster reconciliation, peace, and bridge-building between communities. Its core offerings include physical site restoration projects (Shrine of Nahum in Iraq, Synagogue of Ezekiel, Pavlopetri underwater city in Greece, Annahütte Alpine Lodge), advocacy campaigns (Mes Aynak, Bamiyan Buddhas), and education and public engagement programs (StoryMaps virtual tours, audio guides, documentary films, e-courses, watch days, and festivals).

Product overview

ARCH International operates as a cultural heritage non-profit organization offering a diverse portfolio of conservation projects, educational programs, and public engagement initiatives. The core offerings include physical site restorations (Shrine of Nahum, Synagogue of Ezekiel, Pavlopetri, Annahütte), advocacy campaigns (Mes Aynak, Bamiyan Buddhas), and creative heritage experiences (Rumi Gardens, StoryMaps, Audio Tours, Films). Educational products include e-courses on antiquities protection and a handbook for contested monuments. Public engagement features events like Watch Days, Rumi Day, and children's programs. The PATH Consortium extends work to traditional plant-based healing knowledge preservation. These offerings are unified by the organization's mission to use heritage restoration as a tool for post-conflict reconciliation and peace-building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rumi Gardens: Flexible template for international gardens celebrating poet and philosopher Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi's scholarship and writings
• PATH Consortium
• Cultural Heritage Films Series
• Musiqar - The Magical Bird

Products and services

• Shrine of Nahum Restoration Physical restoration of the 7th century BC tomb of Old Testament Prophet Nahum in Iraq, including stabilization and reconstruction of the shrine, courtyard, and associated structures; commissioned by the Kurdistan Regional Government and funded by the U.S. Department of State.
• Shush/Synagogue of Ezekiel Restoration Restoration of the Synagogue of Ezekiel in Shush, Iraq, near the remains of a mosque, church, and Zoroastrian temple, envisioned as a contemplative educational walkway highlighting interfaith friendship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully inscribed Pavlopetri on official maritime navigation maps, obliging captains to avoid the archaeological site
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARCH EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCH Europe is ARCH International's sister organization, similarly registered as a non-profit in the EU. Based in Austria, it champions grass roots 'culture and peace' movements between Alpine countries with histories of ethnic conflict. ARCH Europe co-develops projects including the Annahütte Alpine Lodge restoration and ARCH-Europe Salon.
• PATH ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium for the Preservation and Advancement of Traditional Knowledge of Plants and Healing. ARCH leads this collaborative effort connecting organizations and experts dedicated to preserving traditional plant-based healing knowledge, environmental protection, and cultural heritage.
• Ibn Sina FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the PATH Consortium focused on pioneering the preservation and dissemination of Avicenna's botanical knowledge. Collaborating on the Ibn Sina Garden of Health and Healing project in Uzbekistan.
• CaravaneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA foundation for social, cultural, and ecological transformation and partner in the PATH Consortium. Involved in preserving traditional knowledge and addressing contemporary environmental issues.
• Avicenna Public FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Uzbekistan's Avicenna Public Foundation for the Ibn Sina Garden of Health and Healing project in Afshona (birthplace of Ibn Sina/Avicenna near Bukhara).
• Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with Frederick Starr's institute at Johns Hopkins University's SAIS. Conducted extensive research culminating in the 'Cultural Heritage vs. Mining on the New Silk Road?' technical conference in Washington DC.
• Qatar National LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned ARCH to create an E-Course on the Prevention of Looting and Theft of Antiquities for heritage professionals, museum staff, and border police in Afghanistan.
• Ariana Television NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfghanistan's national television network that broadcast ARCH's three-part educational documentary series on cultural heritage protection for several weeks in English, Dari, and Pashto.
• World Monuments FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCH successfully nominated Pavlopetri to the World Monuments Fund Watch list of endangered heritage sites, resulting in press attention and international recognition.
• Greek Ministry of Underwater AntiquitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Pavlopetri conservation. Their staff led snorkel tours of the underwater ruins during ARCH Watch Day events.
• Technical University in MunichminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCH collaborated with Technical University in Munich on advocacy campaign around physical preservation of the Bamiyan Buddhas.
• World BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCH was the first organization to involve the World Bank in advocacy around heritage preservation at Mes Aynak and published a White Paper presenting concrete solutions.
• U.S. Committee of the Blue ShieldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCH developed strategies around heritage protection during ongoing conflicts together with Smithsonian and the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield.
• Smithsonian InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARCH collaborated with Smithsonian on heritage protection during conflicts, Story Hour programming featuring ancient Silk Road folktales, and many ARCH interns have gone on to work at the Smithsonian.
• Villach Regional Tourism OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted Carinthia's first international working conference on the future of mountain huts with ARCH Europe and ARCH International.
• Jens SoelbergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist in the medicinal plants of Central Asia working closely with villagers in Wakhan province, Afghanistan. Member of the PATH Consortium.
• DFF in CaliforniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-generation family organic farm in California innovating in the use of modern technology to support organic agriculture. Member of the PATH Consortium.
• ICOMOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany ARCH interns have gone on to work at ICOMOS. ARCH was invited to present its approach to dealing with contested monuments in a webinar by World Heritage USA (ICOMOS).
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany ARCH interns have gone on to work at UNESCO. Former UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova serves as ARCH Special Advisor.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aga Khan Trust for Culture: Major heritage organization operating site restoration, urban regeneration, and cultural development programs across the Islamic world, including post-conflict contexts. Comparable project scale and cultural mandate.
• Global Heritage Fund: U.S.-based non-profit focused on saving endangered heritage sites in developing regions, with project-based conservation programs, training, and advocacy in similar geographies to ARCH.
• Blue Shield International: International committee focused on protecting cultural property during armed conflict, of which the U.S. Committee is an ARCH partner. Directly comparable mandate on heritage protection in conflict zones.
• World Monuments Fund: Independent non-profit dedicated to preserving heritage sites globally, including running the Watch program that listed Pavlopetri. Most directly comparable mission, scale, and donor-funded operating model.
• Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB): Non-profit dedicated to cultural heritage preservation and post-conflict reconstruction, with operations overlapping in Iraq, the Balkans, and Central Asia. Closely comparable mission, scale, and donor model to ARCH.

Broad incumbents

• UNESCO (Cultural Sector): The preeminent intergovernmental body for heritage protection, with which ARCH has institutional ties through former Director-General Bokova. UNESCO shapes policy and funding that ARCH's projects depend on.
• Smithsonian Institution (Cultural Heritage programs): Major U.S. cultural institution with active international heritage preservation initiatives including collaborations on conflict-zone protection and the Blue Shield committee, where ARCH is a partner.
• ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites): Global professional association setting heritage conservation standards and advising UNESCO. ARCH regularly engages ICOMOS and channels interns into it; serves as the broader institutional backdrop for ARCH's advocacy work.
• Gerda Henkel Foundation (Cultural Heritage program): German foundation funding historical and cultural heritage research and preservation globally, including in conflict-affected regions. Similar funder role and grant-based engagement model.

Emerging players

• CyArk: Non-profit focused on digitally preserving cultural heritage sites through 3D scanning and virtual tours. Comparable in using digital media (StoryMaps-style virtual tours) for heritage access and education, though with a different technology focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ARCHforCulture
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ARCHinternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/alliancefortherestorationofculturalheritage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-for-the-restoration-of-cultural-heritage-arch-international-
• Instagraminstagram.com/arch_international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Alliance for the Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ARCH International)