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The Aga Khan Museum of Islamic Art – a $300 million complex – is the first North American museum dedicated to Islamic Art, and is an initiative of the Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili Muslims. The complex aims to foster knowledge and understanding between Muslims and Islamic societies and other cultures.
Occupying 6.8 hectares, the complex, with its open-air glassed-in courtyard, is connected to a park with five granite reflecting pools and a cultural religious centre which has a towering glass roof covering its prayer hall.
“You can see that the play of light throughout the building has different nuances and just creates an incredible ambience”, Farid Damji, a volunteer with the Aga Khan Council for Canada, said.
The museum intends to depict cultural diversity of Islam, not just Ismailism, part of Shi’ite Islam.
“It’s not an Ismaili museum. It’s a museum of Islam and Muslim civilization, so it’s really meant to display that diversity”, Damji said.
The complex has been designed by noteworthy Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, and contains at its centre a “courtyard of light”, with a 350-seat auditorium and seated tiles.
Ruba Kana’an, head of education at the museum and a historian of Islamic art, called the museum’s collection special.
“It’s a significant collection of the art of Muslim societies from different parts of the world. It has a variety of masterpieces — works that are unique in either their beauty or their historical significance”, Kana’an said.
Adrien Gardere, the Paris-based museologist who designed the museum’s interior, also designed its multimedia elements which are part of the temporary and permanent displays. According to Gardere, the pieces are not supposed to be seen in isolation.
“The world of artifacts is a world of connection and dialogue. We’re in a place where the artifacts dialogue in a transversal way”, he said.