Culture
International Women’s Day: Celebrating Rabia al-Basri
6 March 2020
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, 8 March 2020, we celebrate the achievements of women — historical and contemporary — who have inspired and continue to inspire people of all faiths, backgrounds, and fields of endeavour.
Video: Jubilee Arts legacy lives on in Syria
8 February 2020
After the International Arts Festival held in Lisbon in July 2018, the number of Ismaili artists in Syria has increased, with the offering of intensive training and rehearsals organised by the Ismaili Council. A host of artists came together to perform on the occasion of Imamat Day in 2019.
Jubilee Arts legacy lives on in Syria
7 February 2020
The Syrian Jamat commemorated Imamat Day in 2019 by reminiscing about Jubilee Arts during an event where artists came together to perform traditional songs and dances, demonstrating dedication, passion, and excellence in their performances.
Building regional partnerships: Learning from the Aga Khan Award for Architecture
27 January 2020
It’s a cool and damp morning at a school in South Kanarchor, on the outskirts of Dhaka. As the children break for recess, they’re greeted by the sight of six young visitors, approaching the school by boat. The children clamour around the bamboo railings excitedly. Nestled in the heart of South Kanarchor is the Arcadia Education Project, one of the winners of the 2019 cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA). Built on land that floods regularly, the amphibious structure is an innovative solution that responds to climate, context, and community. And that’s exactly what the visitors were there to learn about.
Rediscovering heritage in Pakistan
9 January 2020
Last month, young members of the Jamat in Pakistan had the opportunity to tour interior Sindh and Karachi on a journey to reflect on and understand the importance of cultural heritage. The trip was organised as part of the Heritage Discovery Tour (HDT), a flagship programme of the Arts and Culture portfolio of the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for Pakistan.
Ismaili musician wins Central Asia’s Got Talent
29 December 2019
Music college graduate and second-generation singer in his family, Chorshanbe Alovatov from Tajikistan won the popular Central Asia’s Got Talent show final on 22 December 2019. The show, which toured four countries in the region, culminated in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Art installation in Dubai teaches about diversity
29 December 2019
In an effort to highlight the importance of tolerance, President of the UAE His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has proclaimed this year the ‘Year of Tolerance’. With this in mind, an event called DiversiTree was recently held at the Ismaili Centre Dubai. The project, which is part art installation and part performance art, brought together the collective creativity of the community to design a transformative experience for children and adults. This collaborative installation and performance brought to life the concept of diversity, while at the same time developing a breathtaking creation of artistic beauty.
Celebrating culture, diversity, and pluralism at the Ismaili Centre Lisbon
29 December 2019
On 18 December 2019, the Aga Khan Master Musicians with special guest Jasser Haj-Youssef delighted an audience at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon. They highlighted the unity between different countries and continents, and between the present and the past by exploring various forms of classical, folk, jazz, and contemporary music.
Video: Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2019
24 November 2019
In case you missed the live webcast from Kazan in September, The Ismaili is pleased to publish the full 50-minute Aga Khan Award for Architecture film. Mawlana Hazar Imam presided over the 14th cycle of the award, which is presented every three years to projects that set new standards of excellence in architecture, planning practices, historic preservation, and landscape architecture.
From Calgary to Kazan: An architect's journey
24 November 2019
As I prepare to leave for Kazan to attend the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, I feel somewhat stunned by the immense privilege of being part of such a unique event set to take place in such a magnificent city...
Mawlana Hazar Imam arrives in Canada for Global Pluralism Awards ceremony
19 November 2019
Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Canada today, accompanied by Princess Zahra, in advance of a ceremony to recognise the recipients of the 2019 Global Pluralism Award.
Paving the way forward
9 November 2019
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently completed a trip to Pakistan, where they visited a number of AKDN projects. One stop on their tour of the country was Lahore. As a vital part of the Mughal Empire, Lahore was famed as one of the world’s most cultured cities. Since 2007, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Government of Punjab have strived to reinstate this historical legacy.
