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'.Daryoush Mohammad Poor, Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), p. 137. Each building is architecturally unique and functions as a jamatkhana (place of worship), 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.Daryoush Mohammad Poor, Authority without Territory: The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili Imamate (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), pp. 183-84. 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.
Locations Ismaili Centres have been established in London (1985), Vancouver (1985), Lisbon (1998), Dubai (2008), Dushanbe (2009),The ismaili centre, Dushanbe — Fact Sheet, The Ismaili. Toronto (2014), and Houston (2025).
References
External links
Official site of the Ismaili Centres The Ismaili Centre, Dubai - Press release, photos and video relating to the opening The Ismaili Centre, Toronto - an article about the project, including renderings