2012 Simerg Photo Collection: His Highness the Aga Khan, Alamut, Bagamoyo, Jefferson’s Qur’an, Tanganyika, the White House…and more
Editor’s note: During the short 4 month period since its launch in September 2012, Simergphotos has published over twenty remarkable photo stories as well as historical images. A few of the published photo essays have been adapted for this blog from the original pieces which first appeared at the companion literary website, Simerg.com, both during and before 2012. The following selection is from photo essays that were published for the first time in 2012. For each set of photos, we have provided a link for you to enjoy many more photos as well read the accompanying story related to the photos.
HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN AT CHANTILLY
Prince Karim Aga Khan, president of the Foundation for the preservation and development of the Chantilly estate on June 22, 2012 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Philippe Petit/Paris Match via Getty Images)
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Prince Amyn Aga Khan, Catherine Pegard, President of the Domaine de Versailles, Gabriel de Broglie, Chancellor of the Institut de France, Prince Karim Aga Khan, president of the Foundation for the preservation and development of the Chantilly estate and Bernadette Chirac in the castle on June 22, 2012 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Philippe Petit/Paris Match via Getty Images)
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Prince Karim Aga Khan, president of the Foundation for the preservation and development of the Chantilly estate on June 22, 2012 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Philippe Petit/Paris Match via Getty Images)
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Prince Karim Aga Khan (C), president of the Foundation for the preservation and development of the Chantilly estate speaks with Bernadette Chirac (R) in the castle on June 22, 2012 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Philippe Petit/Paris Match via Getty Images)
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Prince Karim Aga Khan, president of the Foundation for the preservation and development of the Chantilly estate on June 22, 2012 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Philippe Petit/Paris Match via Getty Images)
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THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AND PLACES OF ZANZIBAR AND TANGANYIKA IN 1936
Zanzibar. Looking down on town from roof of ancient Arab palace; Catholic church in distance. Photo: US Library of Congress
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Dar-es-Salaam. Air view of sea front. Photo: US Library of Congress.
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Arusha. Masai warriors with their gleaming spears at a wedding. Photo: US Library of Congress
MORE…Beautiful People and Places of Zanzibar and Tanganyika: Photos from 1936
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THE BAGAMOYO ISMAILI JAMATKHANA
A stunning view of the Indian Ocean from the roof-top of the Bagamoyo Jamatkhana. Photo: Shariffa Keshavjee, Nairobi, Kenya. Copyright.
MORE…A Journey to the Bagamoyo Jamatkhana
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IRAN AND ALAMUT
Attaining the summit at Alamut is a breath-taking and exhilarating experience. The fortress complex, one soon discovers, sits astride a dangerously narrow ledge of rock resembling the handle and blade of a knife. The above is an open passage through the mountain. Photo: Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada. © Copyright
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A statue of the Iranian poet Hafiz, who was born in Shiraz in 1315 and died there in 1390. He is a beloved figure of the Iranian people, who learn his verses by heart. Photo: Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada. © Copyright.
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The interior pf the Nasr al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran. The mosque extensively uses colored glass in its facade, and displays other traditional elements such as panj k seh-i (five concaves) in its design. Photo: Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ, Canada. © Copyright.
MORE….Iran and Alamut Like You Have Not Seen Before
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SCENES FROM SOUTH DAKOTA
The Rushmore National Memorial, one of America’s most enduring patriotic symbols, is a massive carving of the colossal faces of US Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Rossevelt and Abraham Lincoln representing the first 150 years of American history. Photo: Malik Merchant. © Simerg.com
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A unique rock formation called the Needle’s Eye, so named for the needle like opening created by wind, rain, freezing and thawing. Photo: Malik Merchant. © Simerg.com
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Crazy Horse Memorial is a tribute to the culture, tradition and living heritage of American Indians and the spirit of the legendary Lakota leader, Crazy Horse, who defeated Custer at Little Bighorn in 1876. The scale of this work in the Black Hills of South Dakota is mind-boggling. Still in the making, when finished, the sculpture will be the world’s largest mountain carving – dwarfing such monuments as the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Statue of Liberty. In fact, all four of Rushmore’s presidents (see photo above) will fit inside Crazy Horse’s 87.5-foot-tall head. Photo: Malik Merchant. © Simerg.com
MORE….5 Colossal Faces in the Black Hills of South Dakota
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JERUSALEM
A view of old Jerusalem from the hotel room where we stayed. The Dome of the Rock is in the foreground and Mount of Olives in the background. Photo: Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ. Copyright.
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St. Georges Monastery, where Christian monks maintain their ancient way of life, began in the fourth century with a few monks who sought the desert experiences of the prophets. Photo: Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ. Copyright.
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Jews from all countries, and as well as tourists of other religious backgrounds, go to pray at the Western Wall. People who cannot pray at the wall can send in prayers or ask for the Kaddish, a specific Jewish prayer, to be said for departed loved ones. Prayers that are sent in are placed into the stones of the walls and are called kvitelach. When the small pieces of papers become too numerous – more than 1 million are placed each year – they are removed and buried. Photo: Muslim Harji, Montreal, PQ. Copyright.
MORE…..Jerusalem – A Photo Essay of the Holy City
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HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN WITH CANADIAN AND US LEADERS
President John F. Kennedy Meets with His Highness the Aga Khan, Prince Karim al-Husseini, at the Oval Office, White House, on March 14, 1961. The Ismaili Imam had first met the President in France some six years earlier. Photo: Robert L. Knudsen (Robert LeRoy), 1929-1989.
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The photograph shows former Prime Mininister Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s family, friends, colleagues, and official guests in attendance to observe his passing. His son, Justin, rests his head on the casket of his father. Margaret Trudeau, in the front pew with son, Alexandre, is flanked by the beloved prime minister’s later life partner, Deborah Coyne, and their daughter, Sarah. The former prime minister’s sister, Suzette Rouleau, is on the far side of the same first row. Leonard Cohen on the right. In attendance next to Cuban President Fidel Castro are former Governor-General Romeo Leblanc, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Other notables present at the ceremony not shown in this photograph include past Canadian Prime Ministers John Turner, Joseph Clark, Brian Mulroney, and Jean Chrétien. Photo: Copyright Jean-Marc Carisse.
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THOMAS JEFFERSON’S COPY OF THE HOLY QUR’AN
The inside title page of the Qur’an owned by 3rd US President Thomas Jefferson. It appears that Jefferson purchased George Sale’s translation of the Qur’an in 1765 from the office of the Virginia Gazette. At the time, Jefferson was engaged in his law studies at the College of William and Mary, so it is likely that he purchased the book as an example of Arabic law as his textbooks suggested. Jefferson cataloged the book in his section on “Religion,” where it shared the shelves with early Greek and Roman mythology and the Bible. Photo: US Library of Congress.
MORE….Historical Images: President Thomas Jefferson’s Copy of the Qur’an
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AVICENNA’S CANON OF MEDICINE
The lacquer miniature on the cover of Avicenna’s ’Canon’ depicts a youth and a physician who takes his pulse, while beside sits a young girl and two other physicians preparing medicine. It has been thought that this is an illustration of a legend about Avicenna (died 1037) and a certain young prince of Gurgan (by the Caspian Sea) who became sick of a malady which nobody could treat. Avicenna was invited to give his opinion. By keeping his finger on the youth’s pulse, he requested that someone who knew all the towns of the province should repeat their names. At the mention of a certain town, he felt a flutter in the pulse. “Now”, he said, “Let someone mention all the houses, streets, and quarters of the town”. Again, a certain street was mentioned and the same phenomenon was repeated; and a third time, when the names of the inhabitants of a certain household were enumerated, it came out that the youth was in love with a girl. The therapy suggested by Avicenna was to allow the couple to get married….Excerpt from the Wellcome Library. Photo: Wellcome Images. Copyright.
MORE….Historical Images: Ibn Sina and His Canon of Medicine
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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
President Obama is welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd during his surprise visit to the Byward Market upon his arrival in Ottawa, Canada, February 19, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama talks with Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Toni Morrison in the Blue Room of the White House, May 29, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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The Obama family made an unannounced visit to tour the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., the night before the President made remarks at the official dedication of the memorial. (Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Barack Obama holds Arianna Holmes, 3, before taking a departure photo with members of her family in the Oval Office, Feb. 1, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
MORE….A Tribute to President Barack Obama on His Re-election: Endearing Photos from the White House
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HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN IN ALBERTA FOR HISTORIC AGREEMENT
Premier Alison Redford and His Highness the Aga Khan. Photograph by Chris Schwarz/Office of the Premier.
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Premier Alison Redford and His Highness the Aga Khan. Photograph by Chris Schwarz/Office of the Premier.
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HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN’S BEAUTIFUL JET
An absolutely stunning photo of His Highness the Aga Khan’s Global Express climbing into the sky from Le Bourget Airport in Paris, on June 7, 2009. Photo: Flickr Photostream: ThreeForty. Copyright
Read more….The Executive Jets of His Highness the Aga Khan
Date posted: December 20, 2012
Date updated: December 26, 2012 (new photos – added Aga Khan Chantilly portrait and Crazy Horse sculpture for 5 Colossal Faces)
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The above small collection is from:
1. Historical Images: Ibn Sina and His Canon of Medicine
2. Historical Images: President Thomas Jefferson’s Copy of the Qur’an
3. The Executive Jets of His Highness the Aga Khan
4. Beautiful People and Places of Zanzibar and Tanganyika: Photos from 1936
5. Photo Essay: Historic Signing of Agreement in Alberta Between His Highness the Aga Khan and Premier Alison Redford
6. From John F. Kennedy to Pierre E. Trudeau to Stephen E. Harper – A Selection of Photos and Videos of His Highness the Aga Khan with USA Presidents and Canadian Prime Ministers
7. Magnificent Photos of Chateau de Chantilly and His Highness the Aga Khan’s Visit to the Jewel of French Culture
8. A Journey to the Bagamoyo Jamatkhana
9. Jerusalem – A Photo Essay of the Holy City
10. 5 Colossal Faces in the Black Hills of South Dakota
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Visit the Home Page for a summary and links to all the photo essays on this blog.
Mashaallah, a very beautiful collection.
The Aga Khan is an outstanding individual and one article I read said ‘A KING WITHOUT A THRONE’. True but he doesn’t need a crown cause he is the BEST, and is everywhere all over the world trying to prevent poverty, helping the poor, building in rural areas where there is lack of water, food, hospitals, schools etc… You name it and he is doing all this for humanity and I wish humans would understand this and follow his example and do whatever little we can for those in need and most of all love and respect each other irrelative or cast or creed and do our best and follow his example. There is a picture of him with the GLOBE next to him and when one see’s that and understands the picture for what it means there is no need for more explanation. I love him as a leader, scholar, spiritual guide to his followers and the immense responsibilities on his shoulders – yet he is always SMILING.