PLEASE CLICK: September 18, 2014 Opening Day of the Majestic New Aga Khan Museum
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Simerg Photo Contest Commemorates Opening of Magnificent New Aga Khan Museum
Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park Perfect Breeding Ground for superb photo taking and winning great prizes including free membership
By Malik Merchant, Editor
The Aga Khan Museum catalogue and special children’s books at the museum gift shop. Photo: Shellina Karmali.
Thursday, September 18, 2014, marked the public opening of the new Aga Khan Museum located on Wynford Drive in Toronto. Simerg marks the opening with a special photo contest in which a maximum of 25 prizes including youth and family memberships will to be given away to the top entries selected by a panel of three independent professional photographers, all from Ontario. The contest is open to all residents of Canada.
His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Stephen Harpur at the opening ceremony of the Ismaili Centre on September 12, 2014. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg.
The Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre were officially on Friday, September 12, in the presence of His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, members of the 49th Ismaili Imam’s family and invited guests.
A maximum of 10 annual memberships each for the YOUTH and OPEN categories for the top photos selected by a team of three professional photographers will be given to the winning entries. The submission deadline will be December 31, 2014. The winning photos will be announced on this website and simergphotos.com on or around in late January, 2015. In addition to the annual memberships, the judges will pick up 5 photos deserving merit awards. The merit winners will each receive a $50.00 gift voucher, entitling them to make purchases from the Aga Khan Museum Gift Shop.
A selection of items at the Aga Khan Museum Gift Shop. Photo: Shellina Karmali
There will be two categories. The Youth Category will be open to anyone 19 and under. A maximum of 10 annual youth memberships to the Museum will be given to the winning entries.
The Open Category is for those over the age of 19. It will be for all amateur photographers and photography enthusiasts who like to shoot photographs, either using a camera or their smart hand-held devices and phones! For this category, each photo has to be accompanied by a 75 to 100 word narrative to encapsulate the photographer’s experience of the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre or their Park. Only spaces where photos are allowed to be taken will be accepted for the contest.
A selection of ties at the Aga Khan Museum Gift Shop. Photo: Shellina Karmali
The opening few weeks of the museum will be the perfect breeding ground for passionate picture taking and writing a brief narrative, and if you are selected as a winner in the Open Category you will be one of 10 to receive an annual family membership.
Here are some ideas for taking and submitting photos: artistic and architecture beauty and grandeur of the projects, interior spaces including art work (where permitted) , landscape, nature (as in the park), as well as spontaneous moments involving people!
Jewellery at the Aga Khan Museum Gift Shop. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg.
The prizes are as a result of gracious donations by numerous individuals and families in Canada and abroad. Simerg is deeply grateful to the sponsors of the prizes.
Each individual may submit up to 3 photos for consideration for the contest, all in high resolution. They should be mailed to simerg@aol.com, and accompanied by the photographer’s full name and address as well as telephone number(s) where they may be contacted.
Every photograph received (maximum 3 per individual) will be published on a special gallery page on this website. The judges will select the winners from the photos published in the photo gallery. The judges decision will be final.
We are thrilled to host this contest and look forward to a fantastic response from the public.
Post updated: October 1, 2014.
The Official Opening of the Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum, a Reporter’s Glimpse
BY MALIK MERCHANT
Editor, http://www.simerg.com
Members of the media gathered at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre where they were briefed about the sequence of events for the official opening of the Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum. Numbering around 35, they were were shuttled in two buses to the Ismaili Centre across the street for the first opening ceremony. One bus carried press representatives carrying large specialized cameras and video equipment, while the second bus carried “reporters only” unrestricted of course from taking pictures with their hand held devices and cameras. Journalists from numerous newspapers, TV and Radio Stations, and Press Agencies from around the world were represented. Ismailimail and Simerg were also present. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg.
A section of the gathering at the official opening of the Ismaili Centre. The social hall of the Centre was packed to capacity. Many members of the media had to take standing positions. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg
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Journalists seen awaiting a photo opportunity with His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the upper terrace section of the Ismaili Centre. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. Copyright.
His Highness the Aga Khan and Prime Minister Stephen Harper pose for a picture at the exclusive photo session accorded to members of the media. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. Copyright.
A spectacular view of the Aga Khan Museum from the Park that divides it from the Ismaili Centre. A band seen in the picture at the left played music as guests arrived. Photo: Malik Merchant
Guests invited for the opening of the Aga Khan Museum watch a live relay of His Highness the Aga Khan and the Prime Minister walk along the Park to the Museum building from the Ismaili Centre. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. Copytight.
Recitation and translation of verses from the Holy Qur’an during the official opening of the Aga Khan Museum held in the museum’s auditorium. Seated (l to r): Hon. Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages; Prime Minister Stephen Harper, His Highness the Aga Khan and Prince Amyn Mohamed Aga Khan. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. Copyright.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and His Highness the Aga Khan unveil the plaque to officially open the Aga Khan Museum. The museum opens to the public on Thursday, September 18, 2014. Henry Kim, Director and CEO of the Museum, is seen at the podium. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. Copyright.
A volunteer assisting with parking at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre poses for a photo following the event. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. Copyright.
Thousands of Ismailis from Metro Toronto and surrounding cities gathered at the Direct Energy Centre to watch a live telecast of the official opening of the Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Museum. This was followed by prayers, food as well as entertainment that included Indian and Central Asian dancing. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. Copyright
Extended coverage of the opening ceremonies and speech excerpts to follow in the coming days.
Copyright: Simerg.
Date posted: Saturday, September 13, 2014
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Alternative post at http://www.simergphotos.com
Morning at the Park, Jamatkhana and the Museum by Navyn Naran
The Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Museum will be officially opened later this week in the presence of His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. A series of poems celebrating the many aspects of the two majestic buildings as well as their Park, which is to be opened in 2015, will be published throughout the week. We begin with Navyn Naran’s contemplative piece, Morning at the New Park, Jamatkhana and Museum.
Astrolabe. Credit: Aga Khan Museum Collection
Simerg to Launch Photo Contest to Celebrate the Opening of the New Aga Khan Museum
An artistic rendering of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park. Photo: The Ismaili/Imara.
Simerg is celebrating the public opening of the Aga Khan Museum on September 18, 2014, by launching a photography contest. A total of 25 photos, all related to the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park taken from the time the grounds become open to the public through to September 25, 2014, will be selected by an independent panel of judges and posted on this website on or around 7th October, 2014. The prizes will consist of a total of 20 free annual youth and family memberships to the museum as well as 5 merit prizes from the museum’s shop.
There will be two categories. The Youth Category will be open to anyone 19 and under. A total of 10 annual youth memberships will be given to the winning entries and, in addition, the judges will select 5 merit entries who will be awarded with the Aga Khan Museum catalogue.
The Open Category is for anyone over the age of 19. It will be for all amateur photographers and photography enthusiasts as well as anyone who likes to shoot photographs, either using a camera or their smart hand-held devices and phones! For this category we will expect each photo to be accompanied with a 75 to 100 word narrative to encapsulate the photographer’s experience of the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre or their Park. Only spaces where photos are allowed to be taken will be accepted for the contest.
The opening days of the museum will be the perfect breeding ground for passionate picture taking and writing a brief narrative, and if you are selected as a winner in the Open Category you will be one of 10 to receive an annual family membership.
Here are some ideas for taking and submitting photos: artistic and architecture beauty and grandeur of the projects, interior spaces (where permitted), landscape, nature (as in the park), as well as spontaneous moments involving people!
The prizes that are to be given are from gracious donations by numerous individuals and families in Ontario. Further details of the contest, including the names of judges, will be published in the coming fortnight. Start preparing for this contest as communities in Ontario and Canada as well as around the world eagerly anticipate the opening of three unique cultural initiatives undertaken by His Highness the Aga Khan!
A Tribute to Mawlana Hazar Imam for Creating “Centres” of Soul at Wynford Drive in Toronto
On October 10, 2010, Bashir Fazal Ladha of the United Kingdom, during his visit to Toronto, went to Wynford Drive to see how the construction work of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park was coming along. He writes: “It was a thrilling moment and I was full of excitement when I saw the progress, and in a moment of inspiration I composed a poem which I have decided to share with readers of Simerg.” The opening of the museum to the public on September 18, 2014 was announced recently and we take the privilege to repost this beautiful and inspiring poem for all our readers.
Writing the History of Tomorrow
Please click to enlarge
A photo of the site captured on October 10, 2010 – the day Bashir Ladha visited the area and was thus inspired to write the poem. Photo: Jim Bowie. Copyright.
BY BASHIR LADHA
A look down deep in the bowls of the earth
“A foundation being laid, a foundation of a building?” I ask
Not only, it is a foundation of a history to unfold…..I bow my head in submission to
The Lord of Time and Age
Yes the Lord of Time and Age
For indeed you are beyond time and spaceThe planets rotate in their orbits
Glorifying your majestic presence
In those momentous moments,
time and history are created
Not the history as in past,
but the unfolding of tomorrowLord you create a new history brick by brick
As the form takes place…
The Majesty of your
awe-inspiring Light is Manifested
Stage by stage, the inner world is recreated
The plaster of your mercy,
the warmth of your love
All adorn the formless and
the formed building you built
You call these “centres”
Indeed these are “centres” of soul
where your name is mentionedThe light shines forth from its windows
Inviting the convenienced and the stray
Inviting both to a new history of tomorrow
and recreating the event of alastu*
Inviting to the life of paradiseMuseum where the past will be enlivened
Prayer hall where the soul will be enriched
Park where the future will be contemplated
All this, a gift to humanityThen why, Ya Mawla why do I neglect
Why do I remain unheeded
remaining a slave to my ego?
Teach me O Lord to submit,
to worship as if I see you
And if I do not see you,
to know that you see allWynford Drive, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I walk with you to a future
A history of tomorrow
Blessed by the Lord of Time and Age
I walk in hope and faith
for a better world ahead.
* The day of the Primordial Covenant or the Day of Alastu is when God addressed the people and said, “Am I not your Lord?” (alastu bi Rabbikum). It was the day when hearts were given spiritual nourishment.
© Simerg.com
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About the writer: Bashir Ladha has served Ismaili Institutions for the past forty years as an Alwaez, teacher and writer. He has been with the Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board for the United Kingdom since 1983.
The Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park: Why I Like This Photo
As work commenced on the large empty plot that had formerly housed the Bata Shoe Company, the trees that lined the perimeter of the site were carefully removed, and gave way to heavy construction equipment and trucks as well as hundreds of skilled professionals for the multi-year construction phase of new Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park. Cranes illuminated the night sky. From a highrise building across the Don Valley Parkway, and from the beginning of the project, resident Jim Bowie began taking pictures of the site every single day from his balcony. When we published his highly acclaimed photo essay, In the Making: The Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park, we invited our readers to select a photo they liked. Here are reposts of two winning entries, as Canada and the world await the opening of the magnificent Aga Khan Museum to the public on September 18, 2014.
The Symbolism of the Halo
By Dana Lopez
Click to enlarge
A halo from the construction site of the new Ismaili Jamatkhana and the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. The long exposure created this halo from the lights on November 29, 2010. It is not an effect that Jim Bowie created, and he can’t quite explain it. Photo: Jim Bowie, Toronto.
I enjoyed viewing Jim Bowie’s photo because of its symbolism. Two features are notable in particular. First, the area ringed by the halo appears calm, whereas the area outside the halo pulsates with heavy traffic. I came away with the impression that the haloed area represents a beacon in a hectic world. Second, the three bright lights inside the halo look like newborn stars, perhaps even a new universe. Viewed through this prism, the photo is asking us to make enlightenment the focal point of our daily lives. This interpretation is consistent with the desired impact of the center: to give strength to those of the Ismaili faith while beckoning others to explore the rich contributions of Islamic culture.
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Camera in Balcony
Click to enlarge
Jim Bowie’s camera aimed at the construction site of the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park. Photo: Jim Bowie
By Kathreen Anne Lelis
I like this photo because it depicts the rising beauty ought to be discovered and deserves a future glory. The building site is surrounded by streets and industrialized buildings to mark new development – the Aga Khan Museum, Ismaili Center and their Park built at the center to serve as EMBLEM of a country with unity amidst cultural diversity. The light from the site shows its glowing hope in building a strong foundation to create glory. The camera serves as the people’s excitement to capture the priceless beauty made for them. It is facing the horizon which means that people are ready to face the opportunities the buildings offer and travel from the past to discover the reason of their success towards the future.
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About the winners: At the time her winning entry was published, Dana Lopez was a law student studying to become a child advocate at the California Western School of Law. She was honored to participate in Simerg’s essay contest because she believes that replacing fear with hope for a brighter future is the best way to ensure a stable civil society. Kathreen Anne Lelis lives in Philippines where she studied at the San Pedro College of Davao City.
Simerg’s Jamatkhana Series and the new Ismaili Centre in Toronto
As part of one of our previous annual anniversary series, we had asked our readers to tell us how a particular Jamatkahana has impacted their lives. Links to some of the reflections that we published are provided below. Ismailis and Toronto residents alike eagerly await and are excited about the opening of the new Ismaili Jamatkhana and Centre in Toronto, along with the Aga Khan Museum and the Park, all located at one site. Thousands walk or drive by the magnificent buildings, and Simerg welcomes your thoughts and reflections on these projects which, Inshallah, will be opening soon. In this regard, readers will also wish to read Jim Bowie’s superb piece of the photos he had been taking of the construction site since its inception. Please click In the Making: The Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre and their Park. Alternatively, to download a PDF file (5mb) please click on the image below.
A MYSTICAL HALO (AND A GLITTERING STAR) AT THE SITE OF
THE NEW TORONTO ISMAILI CENTRE AND JAMATKHANA
PDF Photo essay: Click on image
Flashback – a night scene at the Aga Khan Museum project site on November 29, 2010. Photo: Jim Bowie.
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SIMERG’S JAMATKHANA SERIES
Learning and Sharing Knowledge About Ismaili Jamatkhanas Through Imamat Day Greeting Cards
Please click for post
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Dubai’s Jewel: The Ismaili Community’s Congregational Space
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Bagamoyo’s Historic Ismaili Jamatkhana Through Pictures, Poetry and Prose
Fond Memories of Salamieh, 51 Kensington Court, and Yakymour
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1953-1957: Ismailia Social and Residential Club and Jamatkhana
at 51 Kensington Court, London W8
Please click for article and photos
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Please click for article and photos
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Memories of Nairobi’s Majestic ‘Town Jamatkhana’,
formerly the ‘Darkhana’ of Kenya
Please click for article and photos.
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5 Palace Gate when it was a privilege to be in England
Please click on image for article.
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The Darkhana, Canada: A Building of Graceful Architecture and Spiritual Nobility
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Remembering Kampala Jamatkhana: Special in so many ways
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A Jamatkhana in Tashkorgan, China
The Jamatkhana in Tashkorgan in Xinjiang Province, China. Please click for story and photographs.
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Serenity in Central London: The Ismaili Centre
The Prince of Wales is greeted by the Aga Khan during a visit to the Ismaili Centre to join a reception to help celebrate its 25th anniversary. Photo: Press Association, Nottingham, UK. Please click for article
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Date posted: Thursday, July 31, 2014.
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