Ismaili Centre, Vancouver

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The Ismaili Centre, Vancouver
Ismaili Centre, Burnaby, front elevation and courtyard 1.jpg
Religion
Affiliation Nizari Ismaili Muslim
Leadership His Highness the Aga Khan
Location
Location4010 Canada Way, Burnaby, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Geographic coordinates 49°15′15″N123°00′49″W / 49.25415°N 123.01373°W / 49.25415; -123.01373
Architecture
Architect(s) Bruno Freschi
Type Jamatkhana
Groundbreaking26 July 1982
Completed1985
Website
https://the.ismaili/ismaili-centre-vancouver

The Ismaili Centre, Vancouver, is one of six Ismaili Centres worldwide. It was the first purpose-built Ismaili jamatkhana and the first Ismaili centre in North America. [1] [2] It has accordingly been the subject of sustained, dedicated academic analysis, a case study of modern Islamic architecture in the West. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Foundation and establishment

Established by His Highness Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, the Ismaili Centre, Vancouver was the first of such centers in North America and the second in a series of six Ismaili Centres currently situated in London, Lisbon, Dubai, Dushanbe, and Toronto.

The foundation ceremony for the new building was held on 26 July 1982, [6] and construction was completed in 1985. During the silver jubilee of His Highness the Aga Khan, [7] the new building was opened by the former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on 23 August 1985. [8]

Architecture and design

Designed by the Vancouver architect Bruno Freschi, [9] [10] the building was conceived as an 'ambassadorial building' aiming to give visual architectural expression to the expanding Ismaili community in Canada, and designed 'not just for the use of the members of the Ismaili community, but [...] to become part of the fabric of the civil life of the area'. [11] The centre has been described as 'monumental', [12] 'spectacular' [8] and 'sitting harmoniously' within its environment, reflecting 'traditional Islamic architectural vocabulary in modern context, materials, and craftsmanship'. [13] Its footprint is 3,870 square metres (41,600 square feet), with a basement containing offices and classroom space, and two upper floors, a double-height prayer-hall (reserved for Ismaili worship) and a multi-purpose hall, around a courtyard with a fountain. [14] The prayer-hall is roofed with a series of shallow Turkish-style domes. [15] The design 'attracted international plaudits'. [16]

The faith of Islam is one in which the spiritual and the secular are inextricably linked. [17] As a result, the centre would have to thus reflect both the historical and traditional as well as the contemporary and forward-looking aspirations of the Ismaili community.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isma'ilism</span> Branch of Shia Islam

Isma'ilism is a branch or sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept Musa al-Kadhim, the younger brother of Isma'il, as the true Imām.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan</span> Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias

Aga Khan is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim al-Husseini, Aga Khan IV. Aga Khan claims to be a direct descendant of Muhammad, the last prophet according to the religion of Islam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan IV</span> 49th Imam of the Ismaili (born 1936)

Shah Karim al-Husayni (Arabic: شاه كريم الحسيني, romanized: Shāh Karīm al-Ḥusaynī; born 13 December 1936; known as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current imam of Nizari Isma'ilis. He has held the position of Imam and the title of Aga Khan since 11 July, 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Aga Khan III. The Aga Khan claims direct lineal descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, Ali, who is considered an Imam by Nizari Isma'ilis, and Ali's wife Fatima, Muhammad's daughter from his first marriage. Aga Khan IV is also known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Isma'ili followers.

The Nizaris are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent reasoning or ijtihad; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, cultural and inter-religious differences; and social justice. Nizaris, along with Twelvers, adhere to the Jaʽfari school of jurisprudence. The Aga Khan, currently Aga Khan IV, is the spiritual leader and Imam of the Nizaris. The global seat of the Ismaili Imamate is in Lisbon, Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jama'at Khana</span> Term used by some Muslim communities for a place of gathering

Jamatkhana or Jamat Khana is an amalgamation derived from the Arabic word jama‘a (gathering) and the Persian word khana. It is a term used by some Muslim communities around the world, particularly sufi ones, to a place of gathering. Among some communities of Muslims, the term is often used interchangeably with the Arabic word musallah. The Nizārī Ismā'īlī community uses the term Jama'at Khana to denote their places of worship.

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The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a network of private, non-denominational development agencies founded by the Aga Khan, with the primary focus of improving the quality of life in different regions of Asia and Africa.

The Ismaili Centres are symbolic markers of the permanent presence of the Nizari Ismailis in the countries and regions in which they are established, characterised by the Aga Khan IV as 'ambassadorial buildings'. Each building is architecturally unique and functions as a jamatkhana, but also incorporates spaces for social and cultural gatherings, intellectual engagement and reflection, as well as spiritual contemplation. They facilitate mutual exchange and seek to foster understanding between diverse peoples, communities and faiths. Collectively and individually, the Centres represent the Nizari Ismaili community’s intellectual and spiritual understanding of Islam, as well as the community’s social conscience, outlook and attitude towards the societies in which it lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan Museum</span> Museum of Islamic art in Toronto, Canada

The Aga Khan Museum is a museum of Islamic art located at 77 Wynford Drive 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 programs and performing arts events.

Bruno Freschi is a Canadian architect and an officer in the Order of Canada, known for his role as chief architect for Expo 86 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Some of his notable works include Science World in Vancouver, the Ismaili Centre in Burnaby, and the Staples Residence in Vancouver.

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Jalāl al-Dīn Ḥasan III (1187–1221), son of Nūr al-Dīn Muḥammad II, was the 25th Nizari Isma'ili Imām. He ruled from 1210 to 1221.

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The Ismaili Centre, Toronto is a congregation place and community centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the sixth Ismaili Centre in the world. Situated in a park that it shares with the Aga Khan Museum adjacent to the Don Valley Parkway in North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the Centre represents the permanent presence of the Ismaili Muslim community in Toronto, Ontario and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ismaili Centre, London</span> Religious and cultural center for Ismailis

The Ismaili Centre, London, is one of six Ismaili Centres worldwide. Established in South Kensington in 1979, it is a religious, social and cultural meeting place for the Ismaili Muslim community, the first so designed in the Western world.

The Imamate in Nizari Isma'ili doctrine is a concept in Nizari Isma'ilism which defines the political, religious and spiritual dimensions of authority concerning Islamic leadership over the nation of believers. The primary function of the Imamate is to establish an institution between an Imam who is present and living in the world and his following whereby each are granted rights and responsibilities.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aga Khan Mosque</span> Mosque in Kampala, Uganda

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References

  1. ↑ Salima Versi, 'Make This Your Home: The Impact of Religion on Acculturation: The Case of Canadian Khoja Nizari Isma‗ilis from East Africa' (unpublished MA thesis, Queen‘s University Kingston, 2010), pp. 22, 52
  2. ↑ Parin Dossa, 'Women's Space/Time: An Anthropological Perspective on Ismaili Immigrant Women in Calgary and Vancouver', Canadian Ethnic Studies/Etudes Ethniques au Canada, 20.1: 45.
  3. ↑ Roger Kemble, ' "Ethnic eloquence: Burnaby Jamatkhana, Burnaby, B.C. architect: Bruno Freschi": Critique', Canadian Architect, 30:6 (1985), 12-17.
  4. ↑ Hafiz-Ur-Rehman Sherali, 'Architectural Culture of Islamic Institutions in the West' (unpublished Master of Architecture thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991), esp. pp. 179-219; http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/41322.
  5. ↑ Zamila R. Karimi, 'Spaces of Worship in Islam in the West', Interiors, 1.3 (2010), 265–80 (esp. pp. 273-78); DOI: 10.2752/204191210X12875837764174.
  6. ↑ Khalil Karim Pirani, 'In Search of Appropriate Architecture: A Jamat Khana in Hunza, Pakistan' (unpublished Master of Architecture dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1989), p. 3 fn. 2. https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/76872/20448977-MIT.pdf.
  7. ↑ Daryoush Mohammad Poor, Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), p. 183.
  8. 1 2 Karim H. Karim, 'Pluralism, Migration, Space and Song: Ismaili Arrangements of Public and Private Spheres', in Diverse Spaces: Identity, Heritage and Community in Canadian Public Culture', ed. by Susan L. T. Ashley (Newcastle Upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013), pp. 148-69 (at p. 155); https://www.academia.edu/14002048.
  9. ↑ Bruno Freschi, 'Burnaby Jamatkhana', Architecture and Urbanism (A+ U), 190 (July 1986), p 51.
  10. ↑ Harold Kalman, Robin Ward, and John Roaf, Exploring Vancouver: The Architectural Guide (Vancouver: D & M Publishers, 2012), p. 296.
  11. ↑ Daryoush Mohammad Poor, Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), pp. 136-37.
  12. ↑ Tekijät Tazim R. Kassam, Songs of Wisdom and Circles of Dance: Hymns of the Satpanth Ismā'īlī Muslim Saint, Pīr Shams (Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 1995), p. 7.
  13. ↑ Zamila R. Karimi, 'Spaces of Worship in Islam in the West', Interiors, 1.3 (2010), 265–80 (p. 276); DOI: 10.2752/204191210X12875837764174.
  14. ↑ Zamila R. Karimi, 'Spaces of Worship in Islam in the West', Interiors, 1.3 (2010), 265–80 (quoting p. 276); DOI: 10.2752/204191210X12875837764174.
  15. ↑ Hasan-Uddin Khan, 'The Art and Architecture of the Mosque', in A Companion to the Muslim World, ed. by Amyn B. Sajoo (London: Tauris, 2009), pp. 177-208 (p. 204).
  16. ↑ Amir Hussain and Jamie S. Scott, 'Muslims', in The Religions of Canadians, ed. by Jamie S. Scott (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2012), pp. 167-218 (p. 192).
  17. ↑ "Address by His Highness the Aga Khan on Receiving the 'Tolerance' Award, Tutzing Evangelische Akademie 20 May 2006". European Judaism. 40 (2): 4–8. 2007-11-30. doi:10.3167/ej.2007.400202. ISSN   0014-3006.
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