Minaret Research Network
The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, which is devoted to Islamic art and culture, opened on September 12, 2014. The $300 million museum has been set up by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The patron of the Trust is Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini, 77, the 49th hereditary imam and leader of the estimated 15 million Nizari Ismaili Muslims. Prince Karim, popularly known as the Aga Khan, is worth £8 billion and is one of the richest royals in the world. The Aga Khan is widely known and respected for his philanthropic work, which is largely carried out under the auspices of the Aga Khan Development Network. The agency employs some 80,000 people and oversees projects relating to health, education and development across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Adjacent to the museum is the Ismaili Centre. The museum has been designed by Asia’s greatest living architect, 86-year-old Japanese Fumihiko Maki while the imposing building of the Ismaili Centre has been designed by the eminent Indian architect, 84-year-old Charles Correa.
The museum exhibits more than 1,000 artefacts from three continents, which encompass more than 10 centuries. The exhibits include textiles, carpets, scientific and medical instruments, ancient manuscripts of the Quran, illuminated manuscripts, ceramics, musical instruments, and artefacts made from ivory and pearl.
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