Latest news with #KarimAl-Hussaini
Bloomberg
16-02-2025
- General
- Bloomberg
What It Means To Design a Neurodiverse City
Newsletter The first step to making a city more accessible for people with different mental needs is to invite the neurodiverse users into the design process. Hello and welcome to Bloomberg's weekly design digest. I'm Kriston Capps, staff writer for Bloomberg CityLab and your guide to the world of architecture and the people who build things. Last week Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, the Aga Khan IV and one of architecture's great patrons, died. Sign up to keep up: Subscribe to get the Design Edition newsletter every Sunday.
CairoScene
13-02-2025
- General
- CairoScene
Al-Azhar Park & Beyond: The Aga Khan Foundation's Legacy in Cairo
Al-Azhar Park & Beyond: The Aga Khan Foundation's Legacy in Cairo For over half a century, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) has nurtured resilient communities, empowering them to shape their own futures through sustainable, locally driven initiatives that have transformed millions of lives. On February 4th, 2025, His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV - leader and founder of AKF in 1967 - passed away, leaving behind a legacy woven into the fabric of progress and hope. Established to unite human, financial, and technical resources in the fight against poverty and marginalisation, the foundation's work in Egypt has been etched into the nation's landscape and its people's lives. Implanting Azhar Park The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) turned its attention to Egypt in 1984 with a vision, offering Cairo a park that would serve as a vital green lung for the city. Al-Azhar Park, the trust's first project, became the cornerstone of a broader initiative to revitalise the long-neglected district of Al-Darb Al-Ahmar. The chosen site, a 30-hectare expanse buried under centuries of accumulated debris, held the potential to restore balance to the historic city. Today, Al-Azhar Park welcomes 1.5 million visitors annually. This $30 million investment became a self-sustaining landmark, generating funds for its upkeep through gate fees and restaurant revenues. With Salah Salem Street on one side, Darb Al-Ahmar on the other, and Bab El-Wazir cemetery in between, the park's true impact extends beyond its financial sustainability. It has become a catalyst for urban renewal, breathing new life into Cairo's historic core, and reshaping the relationship between heritage and modernity. Restoring the Remaining Ayyubid Wall Rising from the heart of Cairo, the Ayyubid fortifications tell a story of power, resilience and transformation. Begun in 1176 by Salah al-Din, the Kurdish ruler who ended the Fatimid caliphate, these stone walls encircled the former palace-city, its suburbs and the ancient settlement of Fustat, melding them into a single, fortified entity. Yet as Cairo expanded, the city soon outgrew its fortifications. Only the eastern section remained untouched, shielded for centuries by rising mounds of debris. It was not until the creation of Al-Azhar Park that these buried walls resurfaced, stretching 1,500 metres from Bab al-Wazir to Al-Azhar Street, now forming a stark boundary between the lush greens of the park and the present-day fabric of Darb al-Ahmar. Between 2000 and 2008, conservation efforts began with pilot interventions on select sections of the Historic Wall, laying the groundwork for a broader revitalisation plan. Comprehensive strategies were implemented to weave the wall back into the city's fabric, bridging it with residential neighbourhoods and pedestrian routes leading to Al-Azhar Park. No longer a forgotten relic, the wall has been reimagined as a living part of Cairo's urban narrative, standing once more as a cultural beacon of Islamic Cairo. Other Monuments Restored in Darb Al-Ahmar A series of nine historic treasures in Darb al-Ahmar have been meticulously restored, breathing new life into the historical significance of the district. Amongst them stand the 14th-century Umm al-Sultan Shabaan Mosque, the Khayrbek Complex - made up of a 13th-century palace, mosque and Ottoman house - alongside Tarabay al-Sherif, Amir Aslam al-Silahdar Mosque, and the Darb Shoughlan School, now a vibrant hub for performing arts under the Aga Khan Music Programme. The ongoing restoration of the 14th-century al-Maridani Mosque continues this legacy. Each project unfolded through careful documentation, structural stabilisation and the delicate art of conservation, often accompanied by archaeological excavations and landscape rejuvenation. Modern lighting, sound systems and new ablution areas were seamlessly integrated, while local craftsmen and conservators were nurtured through hands-on training. Beyond the restorations themselves, these projects have returned sacred spaces to their communities, ensuring their stories endure in the Egyptian capital. Photography Credit: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC)
Gulf Today
05-02-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, dies aged 88
The Aga Khan, imam of the Ismaili Muslims and head of a major development aid foundation, died Tuesday in Lisbon at the age of 88, his foundation announced. "His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family," the Aga Khan Development Network said. "The announcement of his designated successor will follow," the foundation added in a post on X. Present in multiple countries, notably in central and southern Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the Ismaili community numbers 12 to 15 million, according to its website. The Aga Khan was the founder and president of his eponymous foundation, which employs 96,000 people and finances development programmes particularly in Asia and Africa. Agence France-Presse
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, dies aged 88: foundation
The Aga Khan, imam of the Ismaili Muslims and head of a major development aid network, has died in Lisbon at the age of 88, his foundation announced on Wednesday. He was the founder and president of the Aga Khan Development Network, which employs 96,000 people and finances development programmes particularly in Asia and Africa. "His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family," the foundation said in a statement. "The announcement of his designated successor will follow," the statement added, regarding who could become the fifth person to hold the post since the 19th century. Present in multiple countries, notably in central and southern Asia, Africa and the Middle East, the Ismaili community numbers 12 to 15 million, according to its website. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres described the Aga Khan as "a symbol of peace, tolerance and compassion in our troubled world" following the religious leader's death. Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace laureate and education campaigner, said his legacy would "live on through the incredible work he led for education, health and development around the world". Born in Geneva, the Aga Khan spent his childhood in Kenya and was appointed in Tanzania to succeed his grandfather in 1957. His father was passed over in the line of succession after a tumultuous marriage to American actor Rita Hayworth. A billionaire owner of yachts and jets, the Aga Khan was a regular on the racetrack and continued the family tradition of breeding thoroughbreds. He also ploughed a large amount of his inherited wealth into philanthropic projects. - 'Extraordinary man of vision' - The apolitical and secular development foundation he created in 1967 is credited with raising literacy levels in 18 countries across South and Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its work in Pakistan earned the Aga Khan the wrath of Sunni Taliban militants who accused the foundation's schools of "brainwashing" men and women to stay away from Islam. During his lifetime, the Aga Khan was awarded honorary Canadian citizenship for his work on development and "tolerance around the world". He also held British and Portuguese citizenship. The Ismaili leadership is based in Lisbon, where there is a significant community. Britain's King Charles was "deeply saddened" by the death of the Aga Khan, who was "a personal friend of many years", an unnamed royal source was quoted in the British press as saying. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the Aga Khan as an "extraordinary man of vision, faith, and generosity" who "devoted his life to peace and prosperity for all". The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, praised "his exemplary commitment to culture, philanthropy and humanitarian causes". Despite his role as the spiritual head of the Ismaili Muslims, he was reluctant to discuss Middle East conflicts, religious fundamentalism or Sunni-Shiite tensions. Islam is not a faith "of conflict or social disorder, it's a religion of peace," he told AFP in 2017. It is used in situations which are "essentially political, but which are presented, for various reasons, in a theological context. This is simply not correct," he said. burs-ah/as/rlp
Shafaq News
05-02-2025
- General
- Shafaq News
Aga Khan IV, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims, dies at 88
Shafaq News/ Aga Khan IV, Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, the spiritual leader of approximately 15 million Nizari Ismaili Muslims worldwide, passed away in Lisbon at the age of 88, his development network said on Tuesday. "His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family," the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) said in a statement on X. The network added that "The announcement of his designated successor will follow." Aga Khan IV led the AKDN, a global development organization he founded, which currently employs approximately 96,000 people worldwide. The late leader held British and Portuguese citizenship and was granted honorary Canadian citizenship, a rare distinction recognizing his contributions to global development and the promotion of tolerance. His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family. Prince Karim Aga Khan… — Aga Khan Development Network (@akdn) February 4, 2025 A Historical Legacy The Nizari Ismailis, a branch of Shia Islam, trace their origins to the 11th century when Hassan-i Sabbah established the sect. They recognize Nizar ibn al-Mustansir Billah as the rightful Imam following his father's death. Historically, the Nizari Ismailis controlled fortresses in Persia and the Levant, gaining a reputation for their strategic mountain strongholds. Their state in Persia fell to the Mongols in the 13th century, while their Levantine presence was dismantled by the Mamluks. Despite these upheavals, the Nizari Ismailis persisted, maintaining a continuous line of spiritual leadership, culminating in Aga Khan IV.
