Browse Programmes
On 16 December 2016, Mawlana Hazar Imam's 80th birthday was celebrated at Aiglemont by Jamati and institutional leaders, who represented the worldwide Ismaili community, and by members of Hazar Imam’s family.
A photo gallery of Mawlana Hazar Imam's 80th birthday celebration at Aiglemont can be viewed at The.Ismaili »
AKYSB UK presents Singalong Saturday: This week we present a piece call ‘Yaqeen’ meaning belief. This composition by the Ismaili Community Ensemble celebrates the legacy of our beloved Imam and the love we have for him. The music fuses classical Western styles with Jazz, Arabic and Indian influences and is played by 20 musicians all of whom contributed to the music making process. The gentle strum of the rubab, beautiful call of the bansuri and the intricate rhythms of the tabla blend seamlessly with the jazzy sounds of the trumpet, saxophone and electric guitar.
The lyrics are sung in both English and Urdu and were devised by the vocalists themselves:
"From a moment to a memory,
Out of darkness, creating energy,
Every action builds your legacy,
One heartbeat to a symphony".
This piece celebrates the diversity of our Jamat and the beliefs and values that bind us.
AKYSB UK presents Singalong Saturday: Shukran is a beautiful piece collaboratively composed by members of ‘Ruhi’, a multi-cultural musical ensemble, celebrates diversity through music. It seamlessly brings together melodic, soulful raags from the East, spiritually uplifting styles from the Middle East, and upbeat rhythms of the West, also highlighting a rap! Diversity is also reflected in the lyrics covering four languages, Arabic, Hindi, English, Persian, taking inspiration from esteemed poets like Rumi. Embedded throughout the song are the heart felt sentiments of a murid for their Lord, with the words ‘Shukran! Ya Noor Azalee!’ Our gratitude, O Eternal Light!
During his Canadian visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Governor-General of Canada, as well as senior government and Jamati leaders, and granted four Golden Jubilee Darbars across the country. Hazar Imam was joined by the Prime Minister for the opening of the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa.
On 11 July 2007, Mawlana Hazar Imam completed 50 years as Imam (spiritual leader) of the Ismailis. Fifty years ago, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, as the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.
As part of the commemoration of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee, Hazar Imam made official visits to countries around the world. In addition to recognising the friendship and longstanding support of leaders of state, government and other partners in the work of the Ismaili Imamat, Mawlana Hazar Imam granted some 26 Golden Jubilee Darbars to the worldwide Jamat.
This film, Golden Jubilee Memories, provides an opportunity to relive the memories of those Golden Jubilee visits.
Mawlana Hazar Imam made an eight-day Golden Jubilee visit to the United States from 11 – 19 April 2008. During the visit, Hazar Imam granted Darbars in Texas, California, Illinois and Georgia, met with government leaders, and delivered the International Baccalaureate Organisation Peterson Lecture.
On 25 November 1977, His Highness the Aga Khan officially inaugurated The Institute of Ismaili Studies. On Friday 24 November 2017, we celebrated its 40th anniversary, where the Board of Governors hosted an event to celebrate the people who have contributed to developing an academic centre for Ismaili studies, that has had a significant impact on the field of Shi‘i and Ismaili studies in the last 40 years.
Take a break from your day and unwind by participating in a 30-minute Qigong exercise with Munira Jiwa. Qigong is a century-old system of coordinated body postures, movement, breathing, and mindfulness.
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.
From 1999 to 2007, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) undertook conservation work on the citadels of Aleppo, Salah ad-Din and Masyaf in partnership with the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums. Work focused in three main areas: conservation of the Citadels; training of antiquities staff, local craftsmen and building professionals in modern conservation practice (while the conservation projects were carried out); and development of re-utilisation plans for the Citadels, including management guidelines and investments in visitor infrastructure such as visitor centres, pathways, signage, etc.
You can read more about AKDN's work in Syria on the AKDN website »
A musical performance by Anthem of Joy from Pakistan, performed during the Jubilee Arts International Talent Showcase in Lisbon, Portugal on the afternoon of 8 July 2018.
You can view more Jubilee Arts performances here »
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 »
Mawlana Hazar Imam received the highest award bestowed by the Asia Society, the Asia Game Changer Lifetime Achievement Award, on 01 November for his work to improve the lives of millions in Asia and around the world.
You can read more about this event at The.Ismaili website »
At a momentous and celebratory event held at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, the Aga Khan Music Awards reached a crescendo, as His Excellency President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Mawlana Hazar Imam, and Prince Amyn awarded prizes to ten laureates, representing 13 countries around the world.
You can read more about this event on The.Ismaili website »
After delivering the Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi Lecture, Mawlana Hazar Imam sat down with Diana L. Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies and Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society, Department of South Asian Studies, Harvard University.
A transcript of this interview is available on the AKDN website »
Marking the historic occasion of his Diamond Jubilee, Mawlana Hazar Imam delivered an address to the Portuguese Parliament on 10 July 2018, in the presence of his family, government officials, and leaders of the Jamat and AKDN.
His Highness the Aga Khan, Chancellor of AKU, presides over the 2015 Convocation ceremony of the Aga Khan University in Kampala, Uganda.
To learn more about the Close to Home film series, visit the Close to Home website »
In October 2017, Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan visited the north of Pakistan to learn more about the effects of natural disasters. During his seven day trip to the region, Prince Aly Muhammad met with numerous families whose quality of life has been enhanced by the Network. This film, written, directed and voiced by Prince Aly Muhammad, is his personal account of his discussions with the communities in the region and how the Aga Khan Development Network is partnering with them to find solutions to the problems caused by natural disasters.
Learn more about AKDN's work in Pakistan on the AKDN website »
To learn more about the Close to Home film series, visit the Close to Home website »
Al-Khimyah, written and directed by Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan, explores the work of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in the historic city of Cairo, Egypt.
The film shines a spotlight on the 30-hectare Al-Azhar Park — converted from a mound of rubble — and the stories of local residents of the adjacent Darb al-Ahmar neighbourhood. Since opening in 2005 after 20 years of careful excavation and design, Al-Azhar Park has provided much-needed leisure and recreational space to the inhabitants of the city, and is today often referred to as "Cairo's green lung."
Located in the heart of Egypt’s capital, the urban oasis has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Landscaping features include walkways, fountains, lawns, and gardens overlooking a lake in the traditional chahar bagh style. Hundreds of young men and women have found work in the park, in horticulture and park maintenance: The park features over 300 different plant species — many native to Egypt — grown in a special nursery, and an orchard provides shade from the sun.
The park has also proven to be a powerful catalyst for urban renewal, evolving beyond the green space itself to include the restoration of monuments and public spaces, and socioeconomic initiatives including housing rehabilitation, microfinance, crafts apprenticeships, and healthcare.
The film is Prince Aly Muhammad's account of a city whose foundations were laid over a thousand years ago, which has seen a 500-year-old rubbish dump rebuilt into a lush green oasis, and a poor inner-city district transformed into a thriving community.
Learn more about AKDN's work in Egypt on the AKDN website »
His Highness the Aga Khan, Chancellor of AKU, presides over the 2015 Convocation ceremony of the Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya.