The Aga Khan Museum to open in Toronto

The Aga Khan Collection, featuring over 1,000 objects of Islamic art from across 1,000 years of history will be permenantly housed in a museum as of next month.

The Aga Khan Museum will open in Toronto on September 18th with a dedication to presenting an overview of the artistic, intellectual and scientific contributions that Muslim civilisations have made to world heritage.

The objects include a 14th century planispheric astrolabe from the Iberian peninsula and page from the canon of medicine written in Arabic on parchment paper

There are pieces in ceramic, metalwork, ivory, stone and wood, textile and carpet, glass and rock crystal objects and illustrated paintings on paper all set to be housed on a 17-acre site that includes the Canadian city’s Ismaili Centre.

The centre and the museum, which was designed by architect Fumihiko Maki and the surrounding landscaped park, designed by landscape architect Vladimir Djurovic, will provide an exciting new green space for the city of Toronto.

“One of the lessons we have learned in recent years is that the world of Islam and the Western world need to work together much more effectively at building mutual understanding – especially as these cultures interact and intermingle more actively,” commented His Highness the Aga Khan. “We hope that this museum will contribute to a better understanding of the peoples of Islam in all of their religious, ethnic, linguistic and social diversity.”

If we were in Toronto, there is no doubt as to where we would be on September 18th.

* For more information about the Aga Khan Museum, its upcoming exhibitions and programming, please visit www.agakhanmuseum.org