Simerg Photos

Photos by Abdulmalik Merchant Publisher–Editor, Simerg and Simergphotos IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER:If you appear in any photo and wish to receive a high resolution Jpeg version of the image for your personal use, please write to Simerg@aol.com, Subject: World Partnership Photo. Please provide your full name and phone number where you can be reached. The image will be emailed ...

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Photographs: Jean-Marc Carisse Text compilation: Abdulmalik Merchant, Editor, Simerg/Simergphotos His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, was warmly received by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, with the words “It’s always a pleasure to welcome a dear friend to Canada, a dear friend to my family as well.” ...

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Portugal’s President Marcelo Nuno Duarte Rebelo de Sousa receives Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, at the Palácio de Belém on May 11, 2016, during an official 2-day visit to the country. The Belém National Palace has, over time, been the official residence of Portuguese monarchs and, after the installation of the First Republic, the Presidents of the ...

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INTRODUCED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT Publisher-Editor of Simerg, Simergphotos and Ismailitica Juby Sprake (maiden name Juby Alibhai) of Vancouver, British Columbia, was recently introduced to this photo blog. To our delight, within days of viewing rare and historical photos of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visits to the Aga Khan School in Nairobi, Kenya, in early to mid 1960’s (see links below), she ...

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1. Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan meets a delegation during a visit to Tanzania sometime between 1966 and 1970 while serving UNHCR. Photo: Abdul M. Ismaily. Copyright. Editor’s Note: During his long tenure from the early 1960’s to 1976 as either the Deputy High Commissioner or the High Commissioner of the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan (1933-2003), ...

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Please click on photo for enlargement Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C) takes a memorial photo with other heads of state and government and the participating delegations during the Africa 2016 Business for Africa, Egypt and the World Forum in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, February 20, 2016. His Highness the Aga Khan is pictured second from ...

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Editor’s Note: Our multi-part series of photos of His Highness the Aga Khan, Mawlana Hazar Imam, taken by the late Rai Abdul M. Ismaily (1926-1981), lovingly known as “Papa Jaan,” continues with this post containing photos captured in Pakistan. The photos (numbered 1 thru 22) are noted with “Incomplete captions,” and we therefore invite our readers who are familiar with ...

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Editor’s Notes: Following the recent publication of historical photos taken by “Papa Jaan” in Hunza and Uganda during the early 1960’s, we are pleased to publish an important collection of photographs of His Highness the Aga Khan, Mawlana Hazar Imam, taken by Azhar Chaudhry during his tenure as chief photographer of Kenya’s Daily Nation Newspaper. We are thankful to Montreal’s ...

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Editor’s Note: Our multi-part series of photos of His Highness the Aga Khan, Mawlana Hazar Imam, taken by the late Abdul M. Ismaily, lovingly known as “Papa Jaan,” continues with this post containing photos captured in Uganda. The late Mr. Ismaily’s photos have never been seen before, and thousands of readers from across the world were overjoyed to see photos ...

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Editor’s note: The following exclusive photos of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visit to Hunza were captured in 1960 by the late Abdul M. Ismaily, lovingly known as “Papa Jaan” by his family and friends, and are published here with the permission of the Ismaily family. We are thankful to the Ismaily family for their generosity, and appreciate the efforts of our ...

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In May 1958, Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th Imam of Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, visited his followers in South Africa, Mozambique and Madagascar. Here he is shown a display of needlework and crafts prepared by Ismaili students during his visit to the Portuguese colonial city of Lourenço Marques. His beloved father, Prince Aly Khan (13 June ...

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A map of Tajikistan with surrounding countries. Among the places Muslim Harji visited with his wife, Nevin, during his adventurous and heart warming trip to Tajikistan were Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, and the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan which is inhabited by Ismailis in very large numbers. Image: United Nations, with Dushanbe and Badakhshan highlighted by Simergphotos. Editor’s note: Muslim Harji’s series ...

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COMPILED AND PREPARED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor and ) As part of his famous Apostolic Journey to France in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, on September 13, paid a visit to the “Institut De France” in Paris. The Pope, who had been elected as the 265th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 2005, was presented with a gold medal by ...

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BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT Publisher-Editor, and A disturbance of blowing snow, right of centre, as my landlord uses a snow-blower to clear one of the side walks used by tenants. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. There is nothing unfamiliar about these set of pictures that I took in Ottawa today, December 29, 2015, following the posting of some extraordinary EVERGREEN PHOTOS that I ...

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Prepared and compiled by Abdulmalik Merchant (Publisher-Editor, and ) Please click on the following NASA earth night time image for enlargement On either side of His Highness the Aga Khan’s thumbnail images, NASA night time photos of the earth. Photos from top to down sequentially correspond to the numbers mentioned in the countries His Highness visited . (1) East Africa ...

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BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor,) “We haven’t seen anything like this in 53 years,” a member of a family told me outside her home across from Dow’s Lake. There were throngs of people everywhere in Ottawa today, and with an unusually mild day once again – though not as warm as yesterday’s balmy 16C – joggers, cyclists and rollerbladers were to ...

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By Abdulmalik Merchant No, not for moment – this is not our photo of the day, because this is how Ottawa would typically look like on a winter day, with people enjoying skating on the world famous Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Instead, residents took up jogging and cycling alongside the same canal, and they represent our photos ...

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PREPARED AND COMPILED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor, and ) A beautiful panoramic photo of the Aga Khan Museum (left) and the Ismaili Centre (right), connected by the all-season Aga Khan Park. The Museum and the Centre, two architectural and cultural gems in Toronto built by His Highness the Aga Khan, were inaugurated in September 2014 by former Canadian Prime Minister, ...

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From the Aga Khan University Convocations in East Africa to the Signing of Agreement to Establish the Seat of the Imamat in Portugal to the Opening of the Aga Khan Park in Canada, to the Jodidi Lecture at Harvard University in the USA & more; as well as a return to East Africa! Please click on image for enlargement NASA’s ...

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“Mawlana Hazar Imam Shah Karim al Hussaini, His Highness Prince Aga Khan, in direct lineal descent from the Holy Prophet (s.a.s.) through Hazrat Mawlana Ali (a.s.) and Hazrat Bibi Fatima (a.s), is the Forty-Ninth Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. By virtue of his office and in accordance with the faith and belief of the Ismaili Muslims, the Imam enjoys full ...

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Om Habibeh, Mata Salamat, the Begum Aga Khan (1906-2000) at the Hajj in 1954. She was accompanied by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan (Mohammad Ali Bogra) and the Governor General of Pakistan. Please click on image below to watch the rare video. ~~~~~~ This thoughtful study of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III, 48th Imam ...

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BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor Simergphotos and Simerg) “Victorious Trudeau” Justin Trudeau with wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau just as results from polling stations across the country confirmed a Liberal majority government. Photo: Jean-Marc Carisse. Copyright. “Victorious Trudeau” is the caption of this large, beautiful and poignantly touching photograph on the front window of Jean-Marc Carisse’s Studio Café located on Elgin Street in ...

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BY MALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor Simerg and Simergphotos) I couldn’t live (leave) without them — the blog(s) and the car! Each year, in October, I make it a point to visit Gatineau Park to enjoy the autumn foliage. In 2014, I had extended my trip and covered Wakefield, and wrote a piece which was well received by readers of this blog ...

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Editor’s note: Muslim Harji’s series on Central Asia continues with a superb collection of photos of Dushanbe’s Ismaili Centre, which was inaugurated on October 12, 2009 by His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, and His Highness the Aga Khan, the direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.) and 49th hereditary Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims. A ...

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Editor’s note: Montreal’s Muslim Harji, pictured above with Ismaili students in Khorogh, continues his special series on Central Asia with this special feature on Ismaili prayer houses in Badakhshan. Thousands of readers have been inspired and touched by Muslim’s preceding photo essays. One reader wrote: “These Tajik brothers are an inspiration to all the rest of us…upholding the Ismaili tradition ...

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Editor’s note: We are pleased to offer our readers a link to an extraordinaryfootage shown on Portuguese Cable News Channel, SIC Noticias, of the signing ceremony that took place in Lisbon establishing the Seat of the Ismaili Imamat in Portugal. We also include two other short clips of remarks made by the Foreign Minister of Portugal and the Prime Minister ...

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Editor’s note: In this third part of a special photo series, Muslim Harji of Montreal focuses on Uzbekistan, with some stunning photos of Islamic buildings in the Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, as well as the region’s markets and foods. Following Harji’s photos, we have gone back to 2002, the year when the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. ...

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Editor’s note: Our remarkable series of portraits from Badakhshan through the lens of (Montreal’s) Muslim Harji continues with this Part II exclusively dedicated to an Ismaili wedding in a small village in the Pamirs that Muslim and his wife Nevin attended during their recent memorable visit to Badakhshan. Harji’s photos are stunning and enchantingly beautiful, and if you missed Part ...

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The First Part in a Special Series on Badakhshan and Central Asia STORY AND PHOTOS BY MUSLIM HARJI (Special to Simerg and Simergphotos) An eighteen hour ride from Dushanbe to Khorog needs a well maintained 4 wheel drive. This drive is not for weak at heart, but a dream ride for an intrepid traveller. The rough road ( I would ...

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BY ABDULMALIK J. MERCHANT A fortnight ago, during the weekend of May 23-24th, 2015, the city of Toronto hosted its 16th Annual Doors Open allowing thousands of Toronto residents and visitors to explore more than 150 architecturally and culturally rich buildings across the city, free of charge. Several thousand visited the Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre, and my ...

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THE PATRON AND BUILDER Please click on photo(s) for enlargement Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th hereditary Imam of Shia Ismaili Muslims directly descended from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s.), is the builder of the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and the newly opened Aga Khan Park that connects the two buildings. Photo: AKDN/Anya Campbell. Copyright. ...

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By Abdulmalik J. Merchant Publisher-Editor, Simergphotos and Simerg Development is ultimately about people, about enabling them to participate fully in the process and to make informed choices and decisions on their futures. – His Highness the Aga Khan, 49th Ismaili Imam speaking in 2013, excerpt on a panel display at the exhibition. Stephanie in front of the exhibition bus. Please ...

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PHOTOS BY MUSLIM HARJI Photographer Muslim Harji, centre. Editor’s note: During cultural or religious celebrations such as the Iranian New Year (Navroz) on March 21, Mawlana Hazar Imam’s accession to the throne of Imamat on July 11 (Imamat Day) and his birthday on December 13 (Salgirah), several Ismaili Jamats around the world gather to celebrate with traditional dancing, and enjoy ...

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Photo: Muslim Harji Editor’s note: Montreal, Quebec, has by far the largest population of Ismailis from Afghanistan of any city in the Western world. Numbering in their thousands, one is often left wondering on major cultural and religious festivities, whether one is really in Montreal or in Kabul! A few years ago, I visited the vibrant city for Mawlana Hazar ...

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I. THE ROTUNDA: GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO CIVILIZATION A photo of the dome of rotunda at the USA Library of Congress. The mural acknowledges countries which have contributed to the development of civilization including, Judea for religion, Greece for philosophy, Rome for administration and Islam for physics. Created by artist Blashfield, Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848-1936) between 1896 and 1900?. Credit: Library ...

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Editor’s note: Intrepid traveller Muslim Harji never fails to have a trip of a lifetime wherever he goes. New Delhi, the Indian capital was no exception judging by the pictures that he has captured, which cover the cultural and spiritual heritage of Islam. Like all his photo essays published on this blog, this one will draw the attention of thousands ...

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Compiled and Prepared by Malik Merchant Editor, Simergphotos and Simerg The images and quotes published below represent: Mawlana Hazar Imam’s family; the Imam’s affection and love for all his murids; the breadth and scope of his Imamat work around the world through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN); the worldwide admiration, respect and warmth that is shown to him by ...

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Prepared by Abdulmalik J. Merchant, Editor, Simergphotos and Simerg High up on the west bank of the Nile in Aswan stands the tomb of Mawlana Sultan Mahomed Shah, His Highness the Aga Khan III, who died in 1957, and of his wife the Begum, who died in 2000. The Mausoleum is a very elegant pink granite structure of late 1950 ...

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Pink Lake, Gatineau Park. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg A city with almost a million people has a magnificent nature park in its vicinity with some of the most spectacular foliage that autumn has to offer. A 15 minute drive from downtown Ottawa brings you to the majestic Gatineau Park – a 361 kilometre nature park with 50 lakes, 5 eco-systems, miles ...

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