The Ismaili Centre, London is a multi-purpose facility established by Mawlana Hazar Imam for the Jamat’s cultural, educational, religious and social activities. Opened in 1985 by the then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, the Centre was the first in the Western world to have been built specifically to the community’s requirements. In 2010, the Ismaili Centre, London celebrated the 25th anniversary of its opening, with, amongst other events, a tea party attended by Mawlana Hazar Imam and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

Part of a seismically unstable zone that is prone to earthquakes, floods, landslides and droughts, Pakistan’s northern region has long been home to a significant Ismaili population. Several new purpose-built jamatkhana projects blend traditional building with new disaster-resistant techniques. From design and construction to finished product, the new structures offer a model to uplift the quality of habitat throughout the region.

The Ismaili Centre, Dushanbe was opened on 12 October 2009 by His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, and Mawlana Hazar Imam. It is the first such Centre in Central Asia — a region that has been home to Ismaili Muslims for more than a thousand years. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Dushanbe, Mahmadsaid Ubaidulloev, senior government officials, diplomats, scholars and leaders of faith communities. Representatives of the Ismaili community from around the world were also present.

Inaugurated on 11 July 1998, the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon established, for the first time in continental Europe, a permanent place of gathering for Ismaili Muslims. The Centre’s Jamatkhana is complemented by premises for the social, cultural and economic development institutions of the Aga Khan Development Network, serving people of all faiths, backgrounds and origins.

The Ismaili presence in Punjab can be traced back at least a thousand years to Fatimid times, when Multan was a major centre for the Jamat. Nestled along Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan Road, the Ismaili Jamatkhana Lahore is the first modern facility to be purpose-built for the Jamat in that city. Rooted in tradition and heritage, the Jamatkhana symbolises centuries of the Jamat’s presence in the region, and its continuity in a land steeped in the many interpretations and practices of Islam.

The Ismaili Centre, Dubai is a complex of creative spaces for contemplative, cultural, educational and recreational purposes, designed to encourage understanding and the sharing of wisdom from many perspectives. It was opened on 26 March 2008 as part of the commemoration of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee. The Centre draws on spiritual and intellectual roots that give it contemporary resonance. Its courtyards, gardens and watercourses, set amidst interlinking interiors, propose a harmony of tradition and timelessness.

The Ismaili Centre in Burnaby, a tree-lined suburb of Greater Vancouver, is the first such centre to be purpose-built by the Ismaili Muslim community in Canada. The site was acquired in 1979, and a firm led by the well-known Vancouver architect Bruno Freschi, was commissioned to prepare the plans for the building. In August 1985, the Centre was opened by Canada’s then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam. This year, the Centre is marking its 25th anniversary.