Photos: In and around the Aga Khan Museum, as it reopens after more than a 100 days
Malik Merchant visits the beautiful Aga Khan Museum on its reopening and provides photos and his experience with Covid-19 guidelines in place!
Category Archive: Travel Essays
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Barcelona’s world famous La Boqueria market through the lens of Muslim Harji
A delightful photo essay by Montreal’s Muslim Harji on the world famous La Boqueira market in Barcelona’s Las Ramblas district.
2019 Fall Rhapsody: A Superabundance of Autumn Colours in Canada’s National Capital Region, Ottawa and Gatineau, that no City in the World can (Ever) Match
Magnificent photos of fall colours in the National Capital Region of Canada – Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec.
A Day Trip to Fabulous Algonquin Park, Canada
Dr. Nurin Merchant and her dad, Malik, spent a fabulous day at Algonquin Park and enjoyed the park’s trails, sights, scenery and autumn foliage. This post includes remarkable pictures from their 12 hour trip, and highlights what can be accomplished during a day’s trip, even if you are travelling from Ottawa or Toronto! The post captures nature at its finest.
Spain’s architectural masterpieces: The Al Hambra Palace in Granada and the Great Mosque in Cordoba through the Lens of Muslim Harji
The Magnificent Alhambra Palace and the Mosque of Cordoba Through the Lens of Muslim Harji.
Photos from our 2017 posts: From the site of the 48th Ismaili Imam’s Bagamoyo landing to the Diamond Jubilee visits of the 49th Imam His Highness the Aga Khan
A collection of photos from posts published in Simerg, Barakah and Simergphotos during 2017.
After an Amazing Silk Road Journey to Xinjiang and Hunza, Seasoned and Intrepid Globetrotter Ali Karim Offers Great Traveling Tips to Our Readers
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
Silk Road Travelogue by Ali Karim: (6) In Hunza’s Capital, Karimabad – Named after Prince Karim Aga Khan
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
33 Awesome Photos that Summarize Our 2016 Posts: From Historical Visits and Landmark Ceremonies of His Highness the Aga Khan to Fantastic Travelogues and Photo Essays
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
Silk Road Travelogue by Ali Karim: (5) Ismailis of Remote Northern Hunza Rise High Above the Tallest Peaks, and Set a Lasting Example for Us to Follow
Ali Karim and his wife Dilshad at the banks of the Hunza river with the stunning Cathedral Peaks in the background. The foot of the mountains at the right is etched with the… Continue reading
Silk Road Travelogue By Ali Karim: (4) Scenes from Tashkurgan and an Encounter with an Ismaili Family, and the Drive to Northern Hunza on the Iconic Khunjerab Pass
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
Photo Essay: Sacred Spaces Through the Lens of Muslim Harji
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
Silk Road Travelogue by Ali Karim: (3) More Kashgar and Spectacular Drive to Tashkurgan
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
Silk Road Travelogue by Ali Karim: (2) More of Turpan and Historic Kashgar
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
Silk Road Travelogue by Ali Karim: (1) Shanghai, Urumqi and Turpan
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
Riyaan Maherali: My Ismaili Jubilee Games Hero – Adnan Dahlvani of Team USA Blue
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
The Ismaili Jubilee Games’ Lantern is Welcomed to the Ismaili Centre and the Children’s Soccer Camp in Burnaby
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
A Phenomenal One-of-a-Kind Experience in Yellowstone, the World’s Very First National Park, Through the Lens of Nurin Merchant
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
Exclusive: Photos of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan’s Visit to Dar-es-Salaam and other East African Photos by the Late Abdul M. Ismaily (“Papa Jaan”)
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
Exclusive: Photos of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Visit to Pakistan by the Late Abdul M. Ismaily (“Papa Jaan”)
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
Photos of His Highness the Aga Khan’s Visits to East Africa by Azhar Chaudhry
Update August 31, 2023: Both Azhar Chaudhry and Sultan Jessa are now deceased. Azhar Chaudhry passed away in November 2020 and Sultan Jessa in August 2019. We are thankful to Montreal’s Sultan Jessa,… Continue reading
Exclusive: Photos of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Visit to Uganda by the Late Abdul M. Ismaily (“Papa Jaan”)
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
Exclusive: Photos of Mawlana Hazar Imam’s 1960 Visit to Hunza by the Late Abdul M. Ismaily (“Papa Jaan”)
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
Photos of Visits by Mawlana Hazar Imam and Prince Aly Khan to Mozambique in the late 1950’s
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
Photo Essay: Tajikistan Landscapes Through the Lens of Muslim Harji
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
Ottawa Diary: “Deja Vu” – Ottawa’s Familiar Winter Day Not Worthy of a Photo, Really?
BY MALIK MERCHANT Publisher-Editor, http://www.simergphotos.com and http://www.simerg.com Blowing snow from my landlord’s snow-blower as he clears one of the side walks used by tenants. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg. There is nothing unfamiliar about these… Continue reading
Photo Diary: A (Very) Green Christmas Day in Ottawa
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
Photo Diary: One of the World’s Coldest Capitals, Ottawa, on Christmas Eve 2015
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
Photo Essay: The Beauty and Glory of Autumn Foliage in Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada’s Capital Region
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
Dushanbe’s Ismaili Centre Through the Lens of Muslim Harji
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
Prayer Houses of Badakhshan, Tajikistan, Through the Lens of Muslim Harji
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
An Ismaili Wedding in the Pamirs Through My Lens by Muslim Harji
Editor’s note: Our remarkable series of portraits from Badakhshan through the lens of (Montreal’s) Muslim Harji continues with this Part II exclusively dedicated to an Ismaili wedding in a small village in the Pamirs that… Continue reading
The Ismailis of Badakhshan Through My Lens by Muslim Harji
The First Part in a Special Series on Badakhshan and Central Asia STORY AND PHOTOS BY MUSLIM HARJI (Special to Simerg and Simergphotos) An eighteen hour ride from Dushanbe to Khorog needs a… Continue reading
For 2015 Ottawa Doors Open, Simerg Visits 2 Muslim Centres, the Algerian Embassy and the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat
BY ABDULMALIK J. MERCHANT A fortnight ago, during the weekend of May 23-24th, 2015, the city of Toronto hosted its 16th Annual Doors Open allowing thousands of Toronto residents and visitors to explore… Continue reading
New Delhi’s Spectacular Islamic Heritage Through a Canadian Lens
Editor’s note: Intrepid traveller Muslim Harji never fails to have a trip of a lifetime wherever he goes. New Delhi, the Indian capital was no exception judging by the pictures that he has captured, which cover the… Continue reading
Photo Essay: Two Great Canadian Prime Ministers, Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson, Feature in Simerg’s Peep into Gatineau Park’s Autumn Foliage
By Malik Merchant Pink Lake, Gatineau Park. Photo: Malik Merchant/Simerg A city with almost a million people has a magnificent nature park in its vicinity with some of the most spectacular foliage that… Continue reading
My 2014 World Cup Adventure in Brazil – A Dream Come True!
BY RAHIM KHOJA Head banners forming the Brazilian flag in the Pelourinho district in Salvador, Bahia.Photo: Rahim Khoja Ten years ago I was travelling to Portugal and when I arrived, the Euro Cup… Continue reading
(Irresistible) Street Foods of South East Asia Through My Lens by Muslim Harji
Editor’s note: Intrepid globetrotter Muslim Harji of Montreal had a trip of a lifetime when he recently visited Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Earlier we published a photo essay about… Continue reading
Photo Essay: The Ismaili Jamatkhana in Myanmar, With Notes on the Community’s Patriotic Spirit
Editor’s note: This post is an amalgamation of selected photos of the Ismaili jamatkhana in Rangoon taken by Muslim Harji of Montreal Canada during his recent visit to Burma (now Myanmar) with photos and text produced in an… Continue reading
Photo Essay: Ismailis in China
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER Thursday, May 15, 2014 The rich history and literary traditions of the Ismaili community in China have been inadequately studied in modern times, and so it was a… Continue reading
Photo Essay: The Robben Island Prison Through My Lens by Muslim and Ayesha Harji
Editor’s note: As we have seen in earlier posts, Muslim Harji’s journeys have taken him far and wide around the world. His photos of Jesusalem, Iran, the Street Foods of India, the Dubai Ismaili… Continue reading
Stunning 360° Panoramas Featuring the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building by Martin Bloomfield
Introduced by Malik Merchant Publisher-Editor, Simergphotos and Simerg Born in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom, Martin Bloomfield, a designer photographer and an expert in 3D animation has travelled the world over, and now lives with his family in Dar-es-Salaam,… Continue reading
Photo Essay: Celebrating Sussex Drive, His Highness the Aga Khan and, Five Years on, the Crystalline Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat Building
Compiled and prepared by Malik Merchant Editor, Simergphotos INTRODUCTION: Sussex Drive with some other connecting streets in the National Capital Region, makes up what is known as the Confederation Boulevard or the “ceremonial and discovery route”. In… Continue reading
Photo Essay: Chitral Through the Lens of an Eye Surgeon
INTRODUCTION Armed with a special magnifying lens, some surgical equipment and plenty of courage and faith, Badrudin Kurwa set out on a mission to restore sight to people blinded by cataracts in a remote corner… Continue reading
Photo Essay: A 9 Year Old Ismaili Boy’s First Steps of Becoming an Astronaut
Qayl’s Inspiring Encounters with Great Astronauts Qayl Azeem Maherali pictured as an astronaut when he was 6. Photo: Qayl’s Collection © Copyright. The picture above was taken three years ago. I am 9… Continue reading
Beautiful People and Places of Zanzibar and Tanganyika: Photos from 1936
Compiled by Malik Merchant (Photographs and captions for this piece are from the Matson (G. Eric and Edith) Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress, USA. Introductory material on mainland Tanzania – then known as Tanganyika… Continue reading
5 Colossal Faces in the Black Hills of South Dakota
By Malik Merchant INTRODUCTION One of the better investments I made during my recent 4,500 km road trip from Toronto to Vancouver, via the USA, was the purchase of the 2013 edition of… Continue reading