“For two minutes, we were suspended in this bizarre, truly ethereal state — two minutes that passed much much too quickly. Next thing we knew, the second diamond ring appeared and it was… Continue reading
By ZAHIR K. DHALLA (Special to Simergphotos). Bagamoyo Beach Landing. Photo: © Copyright Zahir K. Dhalla 2017. This is a present-day photo of Bagamoyo Beach, Tanzania, where sea-going vessels have dropped and weighed… Continue reading
Ali and Dislhad Karim have been travelling since 1977. Their latest journey took them to numerous cities, towns and villages along the the Silk Road in Xinjiang, China, and Hunza, Pakistan. Here they… Continue reading
Ali and Dilshad Karim at Altit Fort, strategically located, precarious for enemies. Legends speak of the spot where they are standing as the capital punishment spot where enemies were simply pushed over the… Continue reading
Ismaili youth performing at Moscow concert against a backdrop photo of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s visit to Tajikistan. Introduced by Abdulmalik Merchant The Luzhniki Sports Arena became the venue on December 11, 2016, for… Continue reading
PREPARED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher/editor — Simergphotos, simerg and barakah) (The photos on this page are representative of some thirty photo pieces that we published in 2016. The photos are not shown in… Continue reading
Ismail Gulgee Ismail Gulgee (1926 – 2007) COMPILED AND ADAPTED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT Editor/publisher, http://www.simergphotos.com Ismail Gulgee was born in Peshawar, Pakistan, in 1926. Since his childhood, Gulgee’s heart was in the visual arts. He dabbled in… Continue reading
BY MUSLIM HARJI Cake and sherbet (2016 Salgirah celebration, Montreal headquarters jamatkhana). Photo: Muslim Harji. Copyright. On December 13th and 17th, 2016, tens of thousands Ismailis across Canada gathered at their respective jamatkhanas… Continue reading
Please send this page link to your friends and family members everywhere! (ed.) Ali Karim and his wife Dilshad at the banks of the Hunza river with the stunning Cathedral Peaks in the… Continue reading
Introduced by Abdulmalik Merchant WATCH 2 VERY INTERESTING VIDEOS IN WIDE FORMAT AND READ TRANSCRIPT With an Advisory Aboard consisting of distinguished educators and scholars representing different faiths, the Religion & Ethic Newsweekly… Continue reading
BY ALI KARIM Spectacular scenery on the Karakorum Highway (KKH) during our drive from Kashgar to Tashkurgan, the very last town before the border between China and Pakistan. KKH runs approximately 1,300 km… Continue reading
BY MUSLIM HARJI INTRODUCTION: A sacred space is any space or area that has been dedicated for a religious or sacred purpose. All world religions have places set aside that are treated as… Continue reading
BY ALI KARIM Please click on photos for enlargement. Spectacular scenery at Lake Karakul, located 12,000 ft above sea level. Photo: Ali Karim. Copyright. In this third piece of my multi-part travelogue on… Continue reading
I. A Photo Summary of the Six Winning Projects BAIT UR ROUF MOSQUE, DHAKA, BANGLADESH Architect: Marina Tabassum A REFUGE FOR SPIRITUALITY IN URBAN DHAKA, SELECTED FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL USE OF NATURAL LIGHT.… Continue reading
BY ALI KARIM A magnificent desert landscape outside Turpan. Photo: Ali Karim. Copyright. In this second installment of my multi-part travelogue on the Silk Road, I continue with more photos of my visit… Continue reading
Intrepid travellers Ali (right) and Dilshad enjoy a snack of noodles and tea at a local café in Urumqi during their “trip of a lifetime” to portions of the ancient Silk Road. Photo:… Continue reading
BY MUSLIM HARJI This is the dargah of one of the most famous Sufi saints, Nizamuddin Auliya. Situated in Nizamuddin West, it also houses the tomb of poet Amir Khusro and Mughal princess… Continue reading
Prepared by Abdulmalik Merchant with the assistance of Rheanne Tejani Few can resist the temptation of freshly baked goodies. They take you back to your childhood and bring a smile to your face.… Continue reading
BY RIYAAN MAHERALI Adnan Dahlvani of Team USA with brothers Qayl (left) and Riyaan (right), both wearing the FC Barcelona soccer camp jerseys. I first met Adnan on my way to the Global… Continue reading
ELECTRONIC IMAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHS CONTRIBUTED BY MS. LINDA BAXTER Mr. Frank Pattrick (d. 1991) with his wife Mrs. Doris Pattrick (d. 2002). Mr. Pattrick worked for His Highness the Aga Khan in Kenya… Continue reading
“I DREAM OF PEACE,” SAYS THIS YOUNG BOY IN A FANTASTIC WELCOMING CEREMONY FOR THE FANOUS IN PAKISTAN BY SULTAN JESSA From some of the densest urban areas to the remotest corners of… Continue reading
BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT Publisher-editor, Simergphotos and Simerg A boy proudly holds the Ismaili Jubilee Games lantern on Sunday, June 19, 2016, at the annual soccer camp which is being attended by 198 young… Continue reading
Editor’s note: Inspired by the message of His Highness the Aga Khan on the important role that individuals can play to drive progress and positive change, a team of dedicated Ismaili educators established… Continue reading
IN YELLOWSTONE, EVERYTHING IS A STONE’S THROW AWAY BY NURIN MERCHANT Five years ago, in the summer of 2011, my dad took me to visit two of his most favourite places on earth,… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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,… Continue reading
Date posted: February 6, 2016. ________________ We welcome feedback/letters from our readers on the essay. Please use the Comments box which appears below. Your feedback may be edited for length and brevity, and… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
COMPILED AND PREPARED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor http://www.simerg.com and http://www.simergphotos.com) As part of his famous Apostolic Journey to France in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, on September 13, paid a visit to the “Institut De… Continue reading
BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT Publisher-Editor, http://www.simergphotos.com and http://www.simerg.com 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… Continue reading
Prepared and compiled by Abdulmalik Merchant (Publisher-Editor, http://www.simergphotos.com and http://www.simerg.com) Please click on the following NASA earth night time image for enlargement On either side of His Highness the Aga Khan’s thumbnail images,… Continue reading
BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor, http://www.simergphotos.com and http://www.simerg.com) “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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
PREPARED AND COMPILED BY ABDULMALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor, http://www.Simergphotos.com and http://www.Simerg.com) 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… Continue reading
GLIMPSES OF THE 49TH ISMAILI IMAM’S WORK 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… Continue reading
“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… Continue reading
~~~~~~ Date posted: November 27, 2015. ____________
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.… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
Editor’s note: We are pleased to offer our readers a link to an extraordinary footage shown on Portuguese Cable News Channel, SIC Noticias, of the signing ceremony that took place in Lisbon establishing… Continue reading
