Simerg’s Jamatkhana Series: 5 Palace Gate, Xinjiang’s Tashkorgan, Ismaili Centre Burnaby, Kampala, Nairobi Town and Ismaili Centre London

The Jamatkhana Series so far….please click the following thumbnails

Please click for “Ismaili Centre London.”

ISMAILI CENTRE, LONDON, UK

As I walk out of the dimly lit and seemingly empty Jamatkhana, I look back at the beautiful tranquility that seems to have settled over the majestic prayer hall. As I look further, I realize that I am not alone…Shellyza Moledina

Please click for “Tashkorgan.”

TASHKORGAN JAMATKHANA, CHINA

Tashkorgan is home to an Ismaili Jamatkhana. The town of approximately 30,000 people also has an art and culture centre in which a huge room is dedicated to the Ismailis of the region, their faith and culture. The centre is open to all and has Ismailis as tour guides…Simerg

Please click for “Kampala Jamatkhana.”

KAMPALA JAMATKHANA, UGANDA

The Jamatkhana was light and airy, on two floors, the bottom floor just an open hall. From the second-floor prayer space you could see the lights come up on opposite hills as the prayers were about to commence. It was built in the 1930s, with donations from community leaders, matched by the Imam…Vali Jamal

Please click for “5 Palace Gate.” (I)

5 PALACE GATE, LONDON, UK (I)

You could imagine…a young Mawlana Hazar Imam…going up those stairs to the third or fourth floor quickly, I imagined it. Because it was ‘Mawlabapa’s house’ and our Jamatkhana…Navyn Naran

Please click for “Ismaili Centre, Burnaby.”

ISMAILI CENTRE, BURNABY, CANADA

It was Chandraat, the night of the new moon, which brings with it immense spiritual peace and barakah (happiness). I was dropping my great aunt home after Jamatkhana ceremonies, and decided to visit her before scooting off. Inside her cozy apartment, I saw an unexpected and surreal art-scape…Pervis Rawji

Please click for “5 Palace Gate” (II).

5 PALACE GATE, LONDON, UK (II)

I came to England in 1958. It was a Friday and my brother took me to Palace Gate. The prayer room was full by the time we arrived and so we just stayed out in the foyer. I was very nervous as the jamat were mostly from the upper classes, with “accents” to go with…Vali Jamal

Please click for “Town Jamatkhana”.

TOWN JAMATKHANA, NAIROBI, KENYA

On my arrival in Nairobi, just a few weeks after the independence of Kenya in December 1963, I can still recall the independence decoration banners, displayed in the colors of the new flag of Kenya –- red, green and black with white stripes and the Coat of Arms depicted by the shield and spears, that our Ismaili community had built…Zahir Dharsee

We welcome your contributions for the series. Please see The Jamatkhana.

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Remembering Prince Aly Khan on the centenary of his birth

Prince Aly Khan: Rare Photos from Nagpur and Lourenço Marques

We fondly remember Prince Aly Khan, Mawlana Hazar Imam's father, on the centenary of his birth. Please click image for a small but unique collection of photos of our beloved Prince.

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Hazrat Ali

His Highness the Aga Khan seen giving his commencement lecture at the American University in Cairo on June 15, 2006. The excerpt on Hazrat Ali, from whom the 49th Ismaili Imam is directly descended, is from his speech. Please click image for article on Hazrat Ali by Baines-Hewitt. Photo Credit: American University in Cairo.

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Dai Nasir Khusraw Play “The Ruby Shines On” is now on Simerg’s Youtube Channel

Dai Nasir Khusraw Play on Youtube

Please click to watch "The Ruby Shines On," on Youtube

“The Ruby Shines On,” a play about the life and works of the 12th century Ismaili missionary, poet, thinker and traveller Nasir Khusraw is now available on this Website’s Youtube channel, Simergculture.

A Note to Readers: Please scroll down or click Home page for other recent posts and click What’s New for links to all articles published on this blog since March 2009. Subscribe to this Website via the box near the top right of this page.

Script of Nasir Khusraw Play “The Ruby Shines On” Written and Directed by Amina Ishani

Script – “The Ruby Shines On” 

A Note from the Editor: For the benefit of Simerg readers Amina Ishani is kindly making the complete script of “The Ruby Shines On” available for download through this Website. Please click Script – “The Ruby Shines On” (PDF Format). To watch complete play, please click “The Ruby Shines On”.

A Note to Readers: Please scroll down or click Home page for other recent posts and click What’s New for links to all articles published on this blog since March 2009. Subscribe to this Website via the box near the top right of this page.

“The Ruby Shines On,” A Play About Nasir Khusraw, Written and Directed by Amina Ishani

Simerg Exclusive Internet Telecast

“The Ruby Shines On” unfolds life of great Ismaili thinker and missionary to a world wide audience 

Please click “The Ruby Shines On”  to watch complete play. Please click following image for very short clips

Now click “The Ruby Shines On”  for an introduction by the director and to watch complete play.

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Selections from Hazrat Ali’s Nahj al-Balaghah for Young People

Hazrat Ali: Selections from Nahj al-Balaghah for Young People

 

“Look at the ant
with its small body
and delicate form.
See how it crawls on the earth
and leaps at its livelihood”

Please click for Hazrat Ali's Nahj al-Balaghah

A Note to All Our Readers: Please scroll down or click Home page for other recent posts and click What’s New for links to all articles published on this blog since March 2009.