Aga Khan Museum

About

The Aga Khan Museum is a museum of Islamic art located in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is dedicated to Islamic art and objects, and it houses approximately 1,200 rare objects assembled by Shah Karim al-Husayni and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. As an initiative of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network, the museum is dedicated to sparking wonder, curiosity, and understanding of Muslim cultures and their connection with other cultures through the arts. In addition to the Permanent Collection, the Aga Khan Museum features several temporary exhibitions each year that respond to current scholarship, emerging themes, and new artistic developments. The Museum Collection and exhibitions are complemented by educational programmes and performing arts events.

For many years the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims, was planning to build a major museum for Islamic art and artefacts that aligned with the Ismaili community's mission to offer new perspectives into Islamic civilizations by weaving together cross-cultural threads throughout history. The location in Don Mills, Toronto, Canada, was confirmed in 2002, after protests blocked a $60-million offer for a site on the River Thames across from the British Houses of Parliament. The Aga Khan then chose Canada as a tribute to the country's pluralism.

The Aga Khan bought the former Bata Shoes Head Office, a building that was adjacent to the Ismaili Centre, which was already under construction. Designed by modernist architect John B. Parkin, the building was demolished in 2007 after it was determined to be unsuitable for the museum. The new structure was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Fumihiko Maki. It also shares the 6.8-hectare space with public gardens created by Lebanese landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.

The foundation-laying ceremony for the project was performed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Aga Khan on May 28, 2010.

While a permanent home was being built for the collection, selected items went on tour in Europe. Exhibitions took place at the following institutions:

The exhibits received wide international acclaim. The exhibit conveys both Dīn and Dunya, which can be translated as 'Spirit' and 'Life'—the religious and secular aspects of life which are inextricably linked in Muslim cultures. The first exhibitions were organized in two parts: The Word of God consisting of sacred texts and related objects and The Power of the Sovereign reflecting Muslim courts and their figures. More recent exhibitions have been organized as The Word of God and The Route of the Travellers showing the geographic breadth of the Islamic world.

The Aga Khan Museum opened to the public on September 18, 2014. Michael Brand served as the museum's first director and CEO, followed by Henry Kim from 2012 to 2020. Prince Amyn Aga Khan was appointed the new chairman of the board effective May 18, 2016. The role was previously held by his brother, the Aga Khan.

In 2016, RGD InHouse Design presented the Award of Distinction to the Aga Khan Museum for the exhibition Home Ground: Contemporary Art from the Barjeel Art Foundation (July 25, 2015 – January 3, 2016).

The director of collections and public programs, Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, began her appointment on September 1, 2017. Dr. Al-Khamis was appointed director and CEO in 2021. In 2017, the Aga Khan Museum Shop also launched an online shopping platform. Most items online and onsite were commissioned exclusively for the Aga Khan Museum. In many instances, the items—jewellery, books, clothing, artwork, and more—are connected to the Aga Khan Museum's temporary exhibitions as well as its Permanent Collection.

The Aga Khan Museum was recognized as one of the best museums in Toronto by Conde Nast Traveller in 2018. In the same year, the Aga Khan Museum's exhibition, The World of the Fatimids, received a Global Fine Art Award in the Ancient Art (BC – 1200) category, and an honourable mention in the Global Humanity category for the 2017 exhibition, Skate Girls of Kabul. In June 2018, Sri Lankan-born chef Shen Ousmand launched a new menu at the Aga Khan Museum's restaurant Diwan. The McEwan Group, led by Chef Mark McEwan, has been at the helm of the museum's food services since 2016.

Opened in 2026, the Toronto Transit Commission 's Eglinton Crosstown LRT has an Aga Khan Park & Museum stop.

For many years the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims, was planning to build a major museum for Islamic art and artefacts that aligned with the Ismaili community's mission to offer new perspectives into Islamic civilizations by weaving together cross-cultural threads throughout history. The location in Don Mills, Toronto, Canada, was confirmed in 2002, after protests blocked a $60-million offer for a site on the River Thames across from the British Houses of Parliament. The Aga Khan then chose Canada as a tribute to the country's pluralism.

The Aga Khan bought the former Bata Shoes Head Office, a building that was adjacent to the Ismaili Centre, which was already under construction. Designed by modernist architect John B. Parkin, the building was demolished in 2007 after it was determined to be unsuitable for the museum. The new structure was designed by Pritzker Prize winner Fumihiko Maki. It also shares the 6.8-hectare space with public gardens created by Lebanese landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic.

The foundation-laying ceremony for the project was performed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Aga Khan on May 28, 2010.

While a permanent home was being built for the collection, selected items went on tour in Europe. Exhibitions took place at the following institutions:

The exhibits received wide international acclaim. The exhibit conveys both Dīn and Dunya, which can be translated as 'Spirit' and 'Life'—the religious and secular aspects of life which are inextricably linked in Muslim cultures. The first exhibitions were organized in two parts: The Word of God consisting of sacred texts and related objects and The Power of the Sovereign reflecting Muslim courts and their figures. More recent exhibitions have been organized as The Word of God and The Route of the Travellers showing the geographic breadth of the Islamic world.

While a permanent home was being built for the collection, selected items went on tour in Europe. Exhibitions took place at the following institutions:

The exhibits received wide international acclaim. The exhibit conveys both Dīn and Dunya, which can be translated as 'Spirit' and 'Life'—the religious and secular aspects of life which are inextricably linked in Muslim cultures. The first exhibitions were organized in two parts: The Word of God consisting of sacred texts and related objects and The Power of the Sovereign reflecting Muslim courts and their figures. More recent exhibitions have been organized as The Word of God and The Route of the Travellers showing the geographic breadth of the Islamic world.

The Aga Khan Museum opened to the public on September 18, 2014. Michael Brand served as the museum's first director and CEO, followed by Henry Kim from 2012 to 2020. Prince Amyn Aga Khan was appointed the new chairman of the board effective May 18, 2016. The role was previously held by his brother, the Aga Khan.

In 2016, RGD InHouse Design presented the Award of Distinction to the Aga Khan Museum for the exhibition Home Ground: Contemporary Art from the Barjeel Art Foundation (July 25, 2015 – January 3, 2016).