Mawlana Hazar Imam inaugurates “Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum” exhibition in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, 30 March 2012 — Mawlana Hazar Imam inaugurated Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Architecture in Islamic Arts today, at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia.

Mawlana Hazar Imam commences his Far East visit in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, 29 March 2012 — Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Malaysia today for the start of his visit to the Far East. In the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, he will officially inaugurate the exhibition titled Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Architecture in Islamic Arts at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia.

"Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Architecture in Islamic Arts" at The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

9 December 2011 - 26 February 2012,
Halls of Byzantine and Middle East
St. Petersburg, 7 December 2011 -- Following eight different exhibitions in Europe that attracted over half a million visitors, a new selection of masterpieces from the Aga Khan Museum collections will be on show at the Hermitage, St. Petersburg, from 9 December 2011 to 26 February 2012.

Istanbul Opening for “Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the Book and Calligraphy”

Istanbul, 5 November 2010 - Following seven different exhibitions in Europe that have attracted over half a million visitors, a new selection of masterpieces from the Aga Khan Museum will be on show at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Istanbul, from 5 November 2010 to 27 February 2011. The exhibition, which is sponsored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), has been organised in close cooperation with the host museum.
The exhibition is the first created from the Aga Khan Museum collections to centre on the Arts of the Book and Calligraphy. It showcases important works on paper and parchment from all parts of the Muslim world, from Andalusia to China, including gold and turquoise illuminated manuscripts from the tenth through the nineteenth centuries. The manuscripts will be complemented by a wide range of rare objects in textile, stone, wood, ceramics and metalwork from the same period, many of them with calligraphic inscriptions or decoration reminiscent of illumination.

http://www.akdn.org/Content/1024

Two new web resources provide additional information on Wynford Drive projects in Toronto

http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1017/spinner

Speech at the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim

Prime Minister Harper,Madame Clarkson,Honourable Ministers,Excellencies,Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me begin by expressing my profound appreciation for the great honour which this country has paid to me today by extending this generous gift of Honorary Canadian Citizenship.

I have been deeply moved by your gracious gesture — which I also regard as a tribute to the institution of the Ismaili Imamat, which I represent. It is a significant recognition of the values which our community of faith shares with the people of Canada.
Je suis très profondément touché par l’immense honneur que vous m’avez si généreusement accordé, à moi personnellement et à l’Imamat Ismaili.
Mr Prime Minister, I have always felt very much at home in Canada, but never more so than at this moment.
It also means a great deal to me that all of you can be here today. This Foundation Ceremony marks a particularly important moment for my family and me — and such moments take on added meaning when they can be shared with colleagues and friends, and with so many men and women whom I deeply admire.

The projects we celebrate have been in the development process, as you may know, for some time — and perhaps, if I may say so, for a somewhat longer time than some of us may have expected! But I have learned that sometimes a bit of extra patience in the planning process can lead to even wider opportunities — and that is precisely what happened in this case.

Full Speech @ http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1010/Speech-at-the-Foundation-Ceremony-of-the-Ismaili-Centre-Toronto-the-Aga-Khan-Museum-and-their-Park

Mawlana Hazar Imam arrives in Toronto ahead of Foundation Ceremony

Toronto, 27 May 2010 — Following a short visit to Ottawa, Mawlana Hazar Imam landed in Toronto this afternoon, where he was received by the Honourable James Moore, the Federal Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation. He was also welcomed by Ismaili Council for Ontario President Karim Sunderji and other Jamati leaders.

Prince Amyn and Ismaili Council for Canada President Mohamed Manji accompanied Mawlana Hazar Imam from Ottawa to Toronto. Prince Rahim, who had arrived earlier in the afternoon, had been received by Ismaili Leaders’ International Forum Chairman Azim Lakhani and Ismaili Council for Canada Vice-President Malik Talib.

More @ http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1008/Mawlana-Hazar-Imam-arrives-in-Toronto-ahead-of-Foundation-Ceremony

Mawlana Hazar Imam arrives in Canada to lay foundation of Ismaili Centre, museum and park

Ottawa, 26 May 2010 — Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Ottawa this afternoon, marking the start of a two-day visit to Canada during which he will participate in the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, the first-ever Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and the park where they will be situated in Toronto’s Don Mills neighbourhood.

MOre @ >>>> http://www.theismaili.org/cms/1006/Mawlana-Hazar-Imam-arrives-in-Canada-to-lay-foundation-of-Ismaili-Centre-museum-and-park

Media Advisory: Aga Khan to Launch New Institutions in Toronto, Canada

Foundation Ceremony for the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and Park to take place in Toronto, on Friday.


Toronto, Canada: On Friday, May 28, 2010, His Highness the Aga Khan will participate in the Foundation Ceremony to mark the beginning of the development of the Ismaili Centre, the first-ever Aga Khan Museum for Islamic Art and Culture, and the park where they will be situated in Toronto’s Don Mills area.



The development of these projects, an initiative of His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims and Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network, seeks to foster knowledge and understanding both within Muslim societies and between these societies and other cultures. The Aga Khan Museum and its collection reflect the plurality of the Muslim world, while the adjacent Ismaili Centre will create spaces for interaction and dialogue. Together, they will offer platforms for the search for mutual understanding among all communities and cultures.



Situated on a 6.8 hectare site along a major artery of Toronto, the Don Valley Parkway, the buildings and park represent the Aga Khan’s commitment to Canada and appreciation for the country’s adherence to pluralism and cultural diversity.


MOre @ >>> http://www.akdn.org/Content/989

Aga Khan Museum Collection reflects pluralism of the Muslim world and shared human heritage

For almost 3 000 years, merchants, artists, mystics and philosophers travelled along the Silk Road — a network linking Asia with the Mediterranean world, including Europe and North Africa. They traded in goods, shared cultural traditions and exchanged ideas and knowledge along the way.


After the 7th century, Silk Road trade routes were increasingly frequented by Muslims who were eager to expand their intellectual horizons and build on the knowledge of other civilisations. Interactions among Muslim and non-Muslim societies thrived, resulting in some of the most magnificent intellectual and artistic expressions ever conceived. Centuries of engagement had an impact, and plurality became an undeniable feature of these societies.

MOre @ >>> http://www.theismaili.org/cms/999/spinner

Aga Khan Museum Collection in Berlin, 17 March to 6 June 2010, at the Martin-Gropius-Bau

Over two hundred masterpieces of the Muslim world, spanning over a thousand years of history, will be shown at the Martin-Gropius Bau in Berlin from 17 March to 6 June 2010. The artworks are some of the most important pieces in the collection of the Aga Khan Museum, which is due to open in 2013 in Toronto, Canada.


The collection contains some of the world’s most important masterpieces of Muslim art, including:


MOre @ >>>> http://www.akdn.org/Content/977


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Aga Khan Museum Collection in Berlin, 17 March to 6 June 2010, at the Martin-Gropius-Bau

Over two hundred masterpieces of the Muslim world, spanning over a thousand years of history, will be shown at the Martin-Gropius Bau in Berlin from 17 March to 6 June 2010. The artworks are some of the most important pieces in the collection of the Aga Khan Museum, which is due to open in 2013 in Toronto, Canada.

The collection contains some of the world’s most important masterpieces of Muslim art, including

MOre @ >>>> http://www.akdn.org/Content/977


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Video: Alnoor Merchant discusses the Aga Khan Museum collection and Muslim patronage of the arts

Alnoor Merchant, Head Librarian and Keeper of the Ismaili collections at The Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, visited several centres in the United States to talk about the origins of historic artefacts in the Aga Khan Museum collection. He also discussed the important role that patrons played in the history of Islamic Art.
On Monday, 15 February, Merchant addressed 175 students and faculty members at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). He explained how the encouragement of artistic patronage has secured the continuity of Islamic Art over the span of 1 400 years


More@ >>>> http://www.theismaili.org/cms/945/spinner


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Aga Khan Collection presents Islamic art from Andalus to India

Madrid is hosting an exhibition "The Islamic Worlds in the Aga Khan Museum Collection" which shows some of the greatest treasures of Islamic art.

Thursday, 25 June 2009 11:50

World Bulletin / News Desk
Madrid is currently hosting the exhibition "The Islamic Worlds in the Aga Khan Museum Collection" which shows some of the greatest treasures of Islamic art, from ancient al-Andalus to India.

The exhibition, available until September 6, 2009, will travel several other cities such as Barcelona, Onculture.eu said.

The art, the history, the traditions and the geographies of the Islamic world from the Far East to the Iberian Peninsula are the subjects of the exhibition The Worlds of Islam in the Aga Khan Museum Collection.

The event is organised by "la Caixa" Social and Cultural Outreach Projects in cooperation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture –the cultural arm of the Aga Khan Development Network and hosted at the CaixaForum Madrid.

Aga Khan shows 190 art objects spanning 1400 years of history and summarizing, in wood, stone, gold, bronze, ivory, glass, ceramic, fabric, parchment and paper, the finest artistic accomplishments of a world that stretched from ancient al-Andalus to India, Artdaily.org said.

The exhibition sets out to question current commonplaces about the polarity between East and West and reconcile points of view about Islamic culture. Through works of art of different periods and geographical origins across world, the exhibition reflects the splendour of Muslim culture in its full diversity, bringing out the pluralism of Islam, both in interpretations of the Koranic faith and the variety of styles, materials and techniques involved in the creation of these works.

Among the outstanding works on show is a rich group of manuscripts and miniatures with figurative representations, which are among the finest productions not only of the Islamic sphere, but of universal art. They help refute the widespread commonplace of the prohibition of images in Islamic art, since although Islam does not use animal or human motifs in buildings or objects related to religion, in the official or private civil sphere there have been representations of living beings, often profuse. It was merely a matter of aesthetic preferences and historical moments.

These provide an overview of the Islamic world's finest artistic achievements in wood, stone, gold, bronze, ivory, ceramics and textiles, and on parchment and paper. The different Islamic dynasties can be seen, identifying the territories over which each dynasty ruled following the Abbasid caliphate at the end of the 9th century. The Umayyads held sway over al-Andalus, the Fatimids and the Mamelukes reigned in Egypt, the Ottomans in Turkey, and the Safavids in Iran and the Mughals in India.

The essential characteristics of Islamic courtly culture can be seen in generic portraits of respective sovereigns in profile. The works of art on display also emphasize the high cultural level of the Islamic courts responsible for spreading knowledge of Ancient Greece to the west via translations in Arabic.

The exhibits are divided into three large sections. The central section is devoted to The Qur'anic Faith while the other two guide viewers through various Islamic courts using as a metaphor a journey in two stages –From Cordoba to Damascus and From Baghdad to Delhi.

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news_detail.php?id=43890

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Exhibition from Aga Khan Museum Collection -Images - AKDN

Source: http://www.akdn.org/photos_show.asp?Sid=142

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Exhibition from Aga Khan Museum Collection Inaugurated by King of Spain and Aga Khan in Madrid

Joint Press Release

Madrid, 4 June 2009 – His Majesty the King, His Highness the Aga Khan, the Honorary President of "la Caixa" and First Vice-President of "la Caixa", Ricardo Fornesa, today inaugurated the exhibition "The Islamic Worlds in the Aga Khan Museum Collection" at CaixaForum Madrid. Jaime Lanaspa, Director of "la Caixa" Foundation and Luis Monreal, Director of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture also attended the opening ceremony.

The aim of the exhibition, organised by "la Caixa" Social and Cultural Outreach Projects and devoted to ancient cultures, is to show how people from different times and places have confronted major global concerns and also to widen our own world view. Outstanding among recent "la Caixa" events have been exhibitions of Indian figurative sculpture and Etruscan civilisation.

"The Worlds of Islam in the Aga Khan Museum Collection", organised by "la Caixa" Social and Cultural Outreach Projects in cooperation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture – the cultural arm of the Aga Khan Development Network – presents a total of 190 artefacts representing fourteen centuries of history and extending from the Iberian Peninsula to the Far East. After its first showing at CaixaForum Madrid, the exhibition will travel to Barcelona where it can be seen from October 2009 to January 2010.

MOre >>>>> http://www.akdn.org/press_release.asp?ID=761


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