Aga Khan museum opens in Toronto

TORONTO: North America opened its doors to the world of Islamic art and culture with the inauguration of the Aga Khan museum and the Ismaili Centre in Toronto on Friday. Officials said that the Aga Khan museum is now North America's first museum dedicated to the understanding of Islam which joins a network of centres located in five other cities across the world. The ceremony was presided over by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, in the presence of Prince Amyn Aga Khan and Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

The museum and Ismaili centre are situated in a 6.8 hectare landscaped park, a new space that showcases the work of three renowned architects, Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki who designed the Aga Khan museum,Indian architect Charles Correa who designed the Ismaili centre and Vladimir Djurovic of Lebanon who designed the park. The breathtaking building with a central courtyard doubling up as a performance space is striking not only for its architecture but also for its exquisite use of natural light. Officials said that the extensive collection in the Aga Khan museum, which opens its doors to the public on September 18, has a collection that comprises artifacts from across the Islamic World - from Mali to Malaysia; from Turkey to Turkmenistan, From Algeria to Afghanistan. The museum is planned to be experiential wherein not only are some of the finest pieces produced in the islain world displayed - from carpets to astrolabes; from Mughal miniatures to Egyptian fountains but also serve as a place for research with a lavish reading room, experience cuisines and cultural performances. The museum will house a permanent exhibition of over 1,000 objects including rare masterpieces, portraits, textiles, miniatures, books, tiles, musical instruments representing more than ten centuries of human history and a geographic area stretching from the Iberian coast to China.

In his address during the opening ceremony of the Ismaili centre, Harper spoke about the significance of the two new additions to Canada and what they represented. "I encourage Canadians coast-to-coast as well as international visitors to tour these architectural marvels. I am certain the Centre and Museum will help to promote spirituality and deepen religious and cultural understanding and respect in Canada," he said. The Aga Khan said the museum and Ismaili centre were aimed at bridging the gap between Islam and the western world. "One of the lessons we have learnt in recent years is that the world of Islam and the western world need to work together effectively at building mutual understanding - especially as these cultures interact and intermingle more actively," he observed. Since 2007, over 1 million people have experienced the Aga Khan museum collection. Museums like Musee de Louvre in Paris, state hermitage museum in St Petersburg, Gulbekian museum in Lisbon, Martin-Gropius-Bau in Berlin, Sakip Sabanci museum in Istanbul, Islamic Arts museum Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur and Asian Civilisations museum in Singapore have all hosted temporary exhibitions of major works of art from the Aga Khan Museum Collection.

(The correspondent was in Toronto at the invitation of Aga Khan Museum)

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