Nocturnal Journey, a stunning four-million-bead hand embroidery by Ismaili women, is among several beautiful pieces of art in the Ismaili Center, Houston, inaugurated by His Highness the Aga Khan on November 6, 2025

By MALIK MERCHANT

“The Center’s permanent art collection offers a Shia-inspired interpretation of Islamic art while embracing a pluralistic ethos that reflects diverse religious and cultural perspectives. Organized around seven themes Community and Belonging, Environment and Sustainability, Equity and Equality, Faith and Spirituality, Discovery and Wonder, Quality of Life, and Pluralism, the collection aspires to highlight shared human values and inspire thoughtful engagement” — excerpt from Ismaili Center, Houston.

During my recent visit to Houston, I had the privilege of witnessing the inauguration ceremony of the Ismaili Center by Honourable John Whitmire, the Mayor of Houston, alongside His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, the 50th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims. While at the Center, I explored the interior spaces that are beautifully adorned with stunning and inspiring artwork on the walls and floor areas. In this post, I am sharing a small selection of photographs I took, along with a few images from the official website of the Ismaili Center in Houston. This post will be updated regularly with more images of artwork at the Ismaili Center as they become available.

I invite readers to visit Barakah for all the news related to His Highness the Aga Khan’s historic first visit to the USA as the Ismailis’ 50th Imam.

ISMAILI CENTER, HOUSTON: INAUGURATION DAY EXHIBITS

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ISMAILI CENTER, HOUSTON: PERMANENT EXHIBITS

I invite you to explore the photographs of the breathtaking artwork in the Ismaili Center, Houston. Each caption features the title of the artwork and the name of its creator. Where available, links to detailed descriptions are included in the captions. Please note that incomplete captions will be updated soon.

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I would like to express my appreciation to Fayyaz Nurmohamed and Omar Samji, respectively leaders of the communications team at AKDN and the Aga Khan Ismaili Council for the USA, for facilitating my visit to the Ismaili Center on the day of the inauguration, as well as during the previous day’s introduction of the Center to the media. May I also extend my appreciation to the many volunteers who welcomed me to the Center, as well as the external media team that provided me with timely literature and bulletins about the visit. They all contributed to making my trip to Houston a most enjoyable and memorable one.

Date posted: November 14, 2025.
Last updated: November 17, 2025 (description link added to Lifeline artwork.)

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