Photo Essay: Stunning Photos of North America’s First Ismaili Centre and Jamatkhana as the Second Ismaili Centre in Toronto is Set for an Official Opening Ceremony on September 12, 2014
Editor’s note: Mohib Ebrahim, the founding publisher and editor of Nanowisdoms, recently visited the first North American purpose built high profile Ismaili Centre and Jamatkhana located in Burnaby, British Columbia, and came away with a magnificent set of contrasting photos that he took both during day and night times. We celebrate the following official announcement about the formal opening ceremony of the second Ismaili Centre in North America, this time in Toronto, by presenting a selection of the photos that Mohib captured during his memorable visit:
The Ismaili Centre and the Aga Khan Museum Opening Ceremonies Set for September 12
The Jamati Institutions of Canada are delighted to confirm that the Opening Ceremonies of the Ismaili Centre Toronto and the Aga Khan Museum will take place in the presence of Mawlana Hazar Imam on Friday, September 12, 2014. It is anticipated that the Opening Ceremony for the Ismaili Centre will take place in the afternoon on September 12, followed immediately by an Opening Ceremony at the Aga Khan Museum. To mark this historic occasion, we invite Jamati members to view a live showing of the opening ceremony at the Ottawa Headquarters Jamatkhana and the Kingston Jamatkhana. Courtesy: Al-Akhbar Newsletter, Special Ottawa Edition, September 5, 2014. [Note: Jamats around the country will gather at their respective jamatkhanas or specially hired halls to watch the opening ceremony – ed.]
The first Ismaili Centre in Burnaby, which was opened in 1985 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in the presence of His Highness the Aga Khan, symbolized the permanent settlement and commitment of the Ismaili Imamat and the Ismaili community to Canada. It ushered the community to confidently rally behind their Imam’s vision of a united community, and of leading a balanced spiritual and material life as required by Islamic teachings. His Highness called on his followers to live harmoniously with all Canadians and to make Canada their homes, while contributing to its development and progress.
Inshallah, the official opening ceremony of the second new Ismaili Centre in Toronto, located alongside the magnificent new Aga Khan Museum and the Park, will herald the Ismaili Muslims into a new era, and see them rise to even greater heights under their Imam’s meritocratic leadership style. The combination of the three unique projects in Toronto conceived by His Highness will delight millions of Ismailis worldwide as well as Canadians of all backgrounds, faiths and cultures. We thank Ebrahim for this thoughtful photo essay, and are confident it will be well received by our readers worldwide.
A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY TO THE FIRST ISMAILI CENTRE IN NORTH AMERICA
BY MOHIB EBRAHIM
With the excitement over the official opening ceremony of the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan Museum and their Park taking place in Toronto on September 12, 2014, we might be forgiven for forgetting the “other” Canadian Ismaili Centre which opened 29 years ago on the other side of the country. A building which, in 2005, His Highness the Aga Khan told its architect, Bruno Freschi, “was one of his most favoured” and one that the Aga Khan had “encouraged” Aga Khan Museum designer, Fumihiko Maki, to visit. [1]
However, the focus of this photo-essay is not so much the Burnaby Centre’s architecture, but the garden around it. Just as a key element of the Toronto Ismaili Centre is the magnificent park adjacent to it, a well developed garden was also a key element of the Burnaby Centre’s design. Speaking of the Ismaili Imam’s interest in gardens and parks, the Toronto park’s designer, Lebanese architect Vladimir Djurovic, said: “I think that His Highness is happiest when he is working and discussing the gardens…. [His] passion for gardens is intoxicating.” [2].
With some two dozen parks and gardens developed by the Aga Khan, depicted in the graphic above, it is hardly surprising that that same intoxicating passion and enthusiasm also came to bear on the Burnaby Centre’s design, given its lush garden. Indeed, the Burnaby Centre’s garden is arguably the most developed of any Ismaili Centre, perhaps rivalling some dedicated gardens.
Speaking at the 1982 Foundation Stone Ceremony for the Burnaby Centre, the Aga Khan, commenting on the garden, said:
“The new building will stand in strongly landscaped surroundings. It will face a courtyard with foundations and a garden. Its scale, its proportions and the use of water will serve to create a serene and contemplative environment.” [3]
However, a garden’s shrubs, bushes and trees can take years or even decades to mature and fully reveal themselves. And so it is only now, almost 30 years later, can we truly appreciate the Aga Khan’s words that building’s surroundings will be “strongly landscaped.” Indeed!
The photo-essay presents both the daytime appearance of the Burnaby Ismaili Centre and garden, whose dense foliage befits the wet West Coast, and its nighttime appearance when, under a full moon and lit by artificial lights sprinkled within, the garden’s colours and hues take on a mesmerising, ethereal quality.
THE FIRST ISMAILI CENTRE AND JAMATKHANA IN NORTH AMERICA
I think for those not from Vancouver, the garden’s development — as compared to its initial state 30 years ago, shown for example in the photos above and immediately below will be eye-opening. Thirty years ago, as mere saplings overwhelmed by the commanding presence of the Centre, shrubs, hedges and trees provided little more than a token greening of the grounds.
Today, those same plants compete for attention, towering up to the top of the building. Indeed, so dense is the foliage it only permits tantalising glimpses of the building from the road and entrance. While this leisurely, maturing process, in all likelihood, went unnoticed by those from Vancouver and attending the Centre more regularly, I’m sure when viewed anew, with fresh eyes, the change will appear just as startling for them as for others.
CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR ENLARGEMENT
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014
Date posted: Thursday, September 4, 2014.
Copyright: Mohib Ebrahim.
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NOTE: All the photographs are released under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License which allows them to be re-used non-commercially, without modification and with credit as follows (including the web-link): “Burnaby Ismaili Centre, by Mohib Ebrahim, © 2014 is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).”
Footnotes:
[1] Voices: Bruno Freschi, Architect of the Ismaili Centre in Burnaby, in Conversation with Simerg
[2] The Road to Toronto (Societal): The vision and rationale behind the Aga Khan’s passion for parks and gardens
http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/10848/
[3] Ismaili Centre Foundation Stone Ceremony (Burnaby, Canada) 26 July 1982
http://www.nanowisdoms.org/nwblog/2391/
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Profile of Mohib Ebrahim at Contributors.
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Wonderful. Like it. Thank you.
I wish I was there with you all, in Canada at this most significant time in our history, despite what is going on in rest of the world where our Ismaili brethren live, I mean especially in Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan wherever there is such strife, killing massacre, May Allah protect all. Ameen
Truly delightful, this photographic essay bring to mind the sounds, sights and fragrances of spirit and nature, dancing together between light and shade in an uninterrupted “time with God”. The next time I visit Vancouver I will be making a bee-line for this garden of the soul.
Thanks a lot for sharing wonderful photographs of the frst Ismaili centre in North America, with intricate and detailed Islamic designs. The greenery around the centre monument means for me that the community of this centre spreads PEACE! The pictures with the full moon are great! And the one with trees on both sides of the pathway gives an idea of “Entrance to the Peace of Paradise”!
I think I observed you about 2 weeks back on a Saturday afternoon from 5 pm to 7 pm when you were taking these photographs. If it was you whom I watched, you have produced and captured the beauty and essence of the building and the courtyard and the garden. It is a very beautiful representation of our first Ismaili Centre in North America of which we are so proud. Congratulations for your superb photography and the patience that I observed. Fantastic, keep up the good work.
Yes, that was me and I was there till about 11pm (as the Sun sets rather late in the Summer)!
Thank you for your kind words and I would also like to thank the facility manager, the volunteers and security for the kind support and cooperation they extended to me the whole time I was there.
Mohib
Ya Allah, Kudrat ki kammal, Mawla ke vichar maee.
Super! Smashing!
Wonderfully done. Thank you for sharing.
Great pictures!!! I visit Burnaby Jamatkhana every year but it is always an amazing experience to be there and this photo essay brought some very special memories — almost 8 years ago when our son and daugher in law were married in the outstanding courtyard under a clear blue sky!!
Thank you Mohib for this wonderful piece for Simergphotos. I enjoy visiting your site, nanowisdoms, regularly.
Yasmin
Thank you very much. Just what I have been looking for. I wonder if you could do the same for rest of Ismail Centres?
Mohib, as always well done. Full moon photos are brilliant. Love all the photos the way you have captured them. I am greatly indebted to you for increasing my knowledge all the time. Thank you very much.