At the Aga Khan Museum: March 2024 Edition
In this episode of At the Aga Khan Museum, get a closer look at the Oliphant from the Museum's Permanent Collection and learn more about the 11th–12th-century ivory horn, which is one of about 80 examples that survive worldwide. Amirali Alibhai, Head of Performing Arts at the Museum sits down with Mark and Marichka Marczyk, the artists behind Balaklava Blues. They speak about the ways in which their work aligns with the Museum's vision, the importance of folk music, and how their songs create a space for conversation. Enjoy a captivating performance by their ensemble from the Museum's Rhythms of Canada Festival.
Related Programmes
The short documentary, Islamic Gardens: Catalysts for Change, is about the vast network of parks and gardens around the world developed by the Ismaili Imamat, under the leadership of His Highness the Aga Khan.
Gardens bring people of different backgrounds together to enjoy and appreciate nature. They also seek to improve people’s quality of life by providing spaces for reflection, spirituality, education and leisure.
The creation of parks and gardens has been an important part of the AKDN's work, with the objective of using green spaces to catalyse positive economic, social and cultural change. This short documentary "Islamic Gardens: Catalysts for Change" is about the Network’s vast network of parks and gardens. It explores their significance and the reasons for creating and revitalising parks and gardens, including their role as spiritual and communal spaces, in environmental stewardship, their capacity to act as springboards for economic development, and their role as educational spaces to teach about the rich diversity and heritage of Muslim cultures and civilisations.
The film looks at the numerous park and garden projects undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, as well as those found in the Ismaili Centres and many other spaces globally, with special focus on the three projects opened during the Diamond Jubilee year of the Aga Khan: the Sunder Nursery in India, the Islamic Gardens at Kings Cross found in the Aga Khan Centre in London, and the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton.
You can read more about AKDN's Parks and Gardens projects on the AKDN website »
Jubilees have traditionally been occasions for the Aga Khan to launch new projects and programmes. In 1983, he launched the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in India. Decades later, the programme continues to support rural communities across India. This film describes a solar irrigation programme developed to help farmers increase their yields.
The restoration of the Mughal Emperor Humayun’s 16th century garden tomb, the jewel of Mughal architecture that predates the Taj Mahal, was inaugurated on 18 September 2013 by India’s Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, Union Minister of Culture Mrs Chandresh Kumari Katoch, Chairman of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Mr Ratan Tata, and His Highness the Aga Khan.
Sunder Nursery, a new 90-acre (36 hectare) city park in New Delhi, was officially inaugurated on 21 February 2018 by Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India, and His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
Learn more about this event on The.Ismaili website »
