Culturally diverse community living in over 25 countries around the world
The Ismaili Community
The Ismaili Community
The Ismaili Muslims are a culturally diverse community living in over 25 countries around the world.
They adhere to a 1,400 year tradition of Shia values that are expressed through a commitment to a search for knowledge for the betterment of self and society; embracing pluralism by building bridges of peace and understanding; and generously sharing of one’s time, talents, and material resources to improve the quality of life of the community and those among whom they live.
The Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as the Ismailis, belong to the Shia branch of Islam. The Shia form one of the two major interpretations of Islam, the Sunni being the other. The Ismailis live in over 25 different countries, mainly in Central and South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia, and number approximately 12 to 15 million. The Ismailis are thus a transnational community who are responsible citizens of the countries where they live.
Throughout their 1,400 year history, the Ismailis have been led by a living, hereditary Imam. They trace the line of Imamat in hereditary succession from Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him). The followers of Ali, or Shia, already in existence during the lifetime of the Prophet, maintained that while the revelation ceased at the Prophet’s death, the need for spiritual and moral guidance of the community continued.
The AKDN is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in specific regions of the developing world. The Network’s organisations have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development and the promotion of private-sector enterprise.
Together, they work towards a common goal – to build institutions and programmes that can respond to the challenges of social, economic and cultural change on an on-going basis. The AKDN works in close partnership with public and private institutions, including amongst others, governments, international organisations, companies, foundations, and universities.
The title of Aga Khan was first granted to Aga Hassanaly Shah, the 46th Ismaili Imam, by the Shah of Persia, in the 1830s. The title of His Highness was granted by Her Majesty the Queen of England (1957) and His Royal Highness was granted by His Imperial Majesty the Shah of Iran (1959).
Decorations
Commander of the Order of Merit, Mauritania (1960)
Grand Cross of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, Portugal (1960)
Grand Cross of the National Order, Ivory Coast (1965)
Grand Cross of the National Order, Upper Volta (1965)
Grand Cross of the National Order, Madagascar (1966)
Grand Cross of the Order of the Green Crescent, Comoros, (1966)
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Iran, Nishan-i-Taj-i-Iran (1967)
Nishan-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan, (1970)
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1977)
Grand Officer of the National Order of the Lion, Senegal (1982)
Nishan-e-Pakistan (1983)
Grand Cordon of Ouissam-al Arch, Morocco (1986)
Knight of Labour, Cavaliere del Lavoro, Italy (1988)
Commander of the Legion of Honour, France (1990)
Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit, Spain (1991)
Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Portugal (1998)
Order of Friendship, Tajikistan (1998)
Order of Bahrain (First Class) (2003)
Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE), United Kingdom (2004)
Honorary Companion of the Order of Canada (2005)
Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ, Portugal (2005)
Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart, Kenya (2007)
Grand Cross of the National Order of Mali (2008)
Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, France (2010)
Order of Danaker, Kyrgyz Republic (2016)
Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty, Portugal (2017)
Most Excellent Order of Pearl of Africa, The Grandmaster, Uganda (2017)
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France (2018)
Honorary Degrees
LL.D. (honoris causa) University of Peshawar, Pakistan (1967)
LL.D. (honoris causa) University of Sind, Pakistan (1970)
LL.D. (honoris causa) McGill University, Canada (1983)
LL.D. (honoris causa) McMaster University, Canada (1987)
D. Litt. (honoris causa) University of London, United Kingdom (1989)
LL.D. (honoris causa) University of Wales, United Kingdom (1993)
LL.D. (honoris causa) Brown University, USA (1996)
Honorary Professorship of the University of Osh, Kyrgyzstan (2002)
LL.D. (honoris causa) University of Toronto, Canada (2004)
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, American University of Beirut, Lebanon (2005)
Honorary Doctorate, University of Évora, Portugal (2006)
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, American University in Cairo, Egypt (2006)
Honorary Doctorate, University of Sankoré, Mali (2008)
LL.D. (honoris causa) Harvard University, USA (2008)
LL.D.(honoris causa), National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland (2008)
LL.D. (honoris causa), University of Alberta, Canada (2009)
Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (2009)
LL.D. (honoris causa) University of Ottawa, Canada (2012)
Honorary Degree of Doctor of Sacred Letters from Trinity College, University of Toronto, Canada (2013)
Honorary Degree Ceremony Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies (PIMS) (2016)
Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa), Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal (2017)
Honorary Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), University of Calgary, Canada (2018)
Honorary Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), University of British Columbia, Canada (2018)
Honorary Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), Simon Fraser University, Canada (2018)
Awards
Honorary Membership, Pakistan Medical Association, Sind, Pakistan (1981)
Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Medal in Architecture, University of Virginia, USA (1984)
Institute Honor of the American Institute of Architects, USA (1984)
Honorary Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), Pakistan (1985)
Gold Medal of the Consejo Superior de Colegios de Arquitectos, Spain (1987)
Honorary Citizen of Granada, Spain (1991)
Honorary Fellowship, Royal Institute of British Architects, United Kingdom (1991)
Silver Medal of the Académie d’Architecture, France (1991)
Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects, USA (1992)
Honorary Citizen of the City of Samarkand, Uzbekistan (1992)
Hadrian Award, World Monuments Fund, USA (1996)
Key to the City of Lisbon, Portugal (1996)
Gold Medal of the City of Granada, Spain (1998)
Archon Award, International Nursing Honour Society, Sigma Theta Tau International, Denmark (2001)
Insignia of Honour, International Union of Architects, France (2001)
State Award for Peace and Progress, Kazakhstan (2002)
Honorary Citizen of the Islamic Ummah of Timbuktu, Mali (2003)
Vincent Scully Prize, National Building Museum, USA (2005)
Honorary Citizen of Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania (2005)
Key to the City of Ottawa, Canada (2005)
Die Quadriga Award, Germany (2005)
Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, UK (2005)
Tolerance Prize of the Evangelical Academy of Tutzing, Germany (2006)
Key to the City of Austin, USA (2008)
Citizen of Honour of the Municipality of Timbuktu, Mali (2008)
Associate Foreign Member, Académie des Beaux-Arts, France (2008)
Honoured Educator of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2008)
Personality of the Year 2008, International Association for Spiritual Renewal “Ruhaniat”, Kyrgyzstan (2009)
Foreign Member of the Sciences Academy of Lisbon, Portugal (2009)
Grand Mécène and Grand Donateur (Grand Patron and Grand Donor) of the Ministry of Culture, France (2009)
Honorary Citizenship of Canada (2009)
University of California San Francisco Medal, USA (2011)
ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development, USA (2011)
David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award, United Kingdom (2012)
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) gold medal, Canada (2013)
North South Prize, Council of Europe, Portugal (2014)
Padma Vibhushan, India (2015)
Adrienne Clarkson Prize for Global Citizenship (2016)
Champion for Global Change Award, UN Global Leadership Dinner, USA (2017)
Asia Society’s Game Changer Lifetime Achievement Award, USA (2017)
Key to the City of Sugar Land, USA (2018)
The Ismaili Centres are symbolic markers of the permanent presence and core values of Ismaili communities around the world.
“For many centuries, a prominent feature of the Muslim religious landscape has been the variety of spaces of gathering co-existing harmoniously with the masjid, which in itself has accommodated a range of diverse institutional spaces for educational, social and reflective purposes. Historically serving communities of different interpretations and spiritual affiliations, these spaces have retained their cultural nomenclatures and characteristics, from ribat and zawiyya to khanaqa and jamatkhana. The congregational space incorporated within the Ismaili Centre belongs to the historic category of jamatkhana, an institutional category that also serves a number of sister Sunni and Shia communities, in their respective contexts, in many parts of the world. Here, it will be space reserved for traditions and practices specific to the Shia Ismaili tariqah of Islam.”
– Mawlana Hazar Imam, at the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, Dubai, 13 December 2003.
As articulated by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, Dubai, the Ismaili Centres belong to the historic category of jamatkhana. They are symbolic markers of the permanent presence of the Ismaili community in the regions in which they are established. Architecturally unique, each building incorporates spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and reflection, as well as spiritual contemplation. They serve as ambassadorial hubs, representing the Ismaili community’s attitude towards the Muslim faith and modern life, while extending a hand of friendship and understanding to enhance relationships among faith communities, government and civil society.
Through their design and function, the Ismaili Centres reflect a mood of humility, forward outlook, friendship and dialogue. They facilitate the promotion of cultural, educational and social programmes from the broadest, non-denominational perspectives within the ethical framework of Islam. A central purpose of the Ismaili Centres is to encourage mutual exchanges and understanding between diverse peoples, communities and faiths. The Centres are, therefore, not only places for spiritual search, but also spaces for broadening intellectual horizons and fostering an appreciation of pluralism.
In 1979, the foundation stone was laid for the first Ismaili Centre, in the South Kensington area of London. This high-profile building was opened by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Mawlana Hazar Imam in April 1985 – a historic event which marked a new phase of the Ismaili presence in Europe. Several months later, in August, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney joined Mawlana Hazar Imam to open the second Ismaili Centre in Vancouver, Canada, an area where Ismailis had first settled in the country more than a decade earlier.
In 1998, the third Ismaili Centre was opened in Lisbon. The Muslim heritage of Portugal made it appropriate for the Centro Ismaili to draw inspiration from many influences, including the distant but familiar heritage of Moorish architectural forms. In particular, the interplay and combination of outdoor and indoor spaces give the building a unique aesthetic feel, reflecting the local context as well as aspects of Islam’s architectural heritage.
The Ismaili Centre, Dubai was opened in March 2008, during Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee, which commemorated 50 years since his accession as the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. The Centre is comparable in scope and architectural standing to its predecessors in London, Vancouver, and Lisbon. Built on land donated by the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the Ismaili Centre unites in its construction and décor the experiences and aesthetics of the past with the materials of the present, in order to meet the needs and objectives of the future.
The Foundation Ceremony for the Ismaili Centre in Dushanbe, Tajikistan was held in August 2003, and the Centre was opened in October 2009. The Foundation Ceremony for the Ismaili Centre in Toronto, Canada was held in May 2010, and the Centre was opened in September 2014.
Conceived in the ethic of respect for human dignity, the Ismaili Centres seek to empathise with, and to expand our intellectual, cultural and moral horizons. They are each a safeguard and a symbol of the core values of the Ismaili Muslim community.
The Ismaili Centres are landmarks that affirm the presence and permanence of the Ismaili community wherever they are established. In form, each individual Centre is unique, suited to its particular surroundings, and drawing on the cultural influences that are prevalent in the country and region in which it is situated. Their functional balances are suited to the needs of the particular community and the broader society that each Centre serves.
Yet despite their outward uniqueness, the Centres are forged in a common spirit, reflecting the mood of a distinctly Islamic community. They are spiritual places that invite peaceful search and contemplation in their gardens, niches and congregational halls. Intellectual discovery and exchange permeate their libraries, classrooms and meeting spaces. Reaching out to the wider community, the Centres extend a hand of friendship, seeking to enhance mutual understanding and social harmony.
Rooted in the rich tapestry of Islamic heritage and traditions, the architecture of the Ismaili Centres identify a community that is at once confident of its past and modern in its outlook.
Important Links
Get in touch with us today and let’s start transforming your business from the ground up.
THE ISMAILI IMAMAT
The Ismaili Imamat is a supra-national entity representing the succession of Imams since the time…
AGAKHAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK
Each year, in collaboration with its partners, the AKDN provides 5 million people with quality…
THE INSTITUTE OF ISMAILI STUDIES
The Institute of Ismaili Studies was established in 1977 with the object of promoting scholarship…
the.ismaili
The Ismaili is pleased to announce the release of our official mobile app, putting the latest news related to the Jamat and its institutions in your pocket!
