Spread across an area of nearly seven hectares, is a Toronto land site that lies just off the Don Valley Parkway North exit, a major highway connecting downtown Toronto to the northern suburbs of the city. This particular area is a shared space where the newly designed building of the Aga Khan Museum now stands along with the Ismaili Centre of Toronto and a beautiful expanse of garden and park area.

The Museum brochure asserts that these distinctive structures are, “…emblems of the cultural, spiritual and natural worlds in peaceful coexistence. They represent a harmonious ideal that is central to the traditions of Islam.”

The landscape park that surrounds the built-up space of the Aga Khan museum compels the visitor to drink in the neat, angular lines of the building itself. The sheer space is breathtaking and the open expanse of the palatial gardens, an indication of the grandeur housed within.

The Bellerieve Room

The slanting projection of the façade is reminiscent of one of the most prominent structures in Karachi — the Aga Khan University and Hospital. But instead of the red brick, white, Brazilian granite characterises the walls of this edifice, designed by Fumihiko Maki of Maki and Associates from Tokyo.

A unique museum offers Toronto residents a chance to experience the rich legacy of the Muslim world

Wide glass windows adorn the sloping walls which stream in bursts of light into the interior of the museum. Fulfilling the wishes of His Highness the Aga Khan who wanted the museum to be ‘designed around the concept of light’, Maki has captured direct and diffused light within the building in numerous ways. When the sun is high, shadows of the mashrabiya patterned glass are reflected along the inner walls through the courtyard’s open roof and 13-meter tall double glass walls — the design reflecting the same geometric pattern seen on the latticed wood work at the AGK hospital in Karachi.

While the interior space does not open into several gallery rooms one after the other the way most museums are fashioned, the use of space at the AGK Museum creates an aura of its own. It reflects a kind of contained splendour, seemingly withholding its magnificence for modesty’s sake.

Ivory Horn

The pedestrian tunnel deserves a mention here which is one of the two main entrances to the Aga Khan Museum. It is the first encounter with multimedia display that visitors experience as images of key works in the museum are tantalisingly flashed across the walkway.

Comprising over a 1000 art objects, the AGK museum collection has the novelty of presenting pieces of art from private collections from Geneva, Paris and London, hitherto not seen by the public — though only 250 or so will be on display at any one time since the exhibits are going to be rotated.

A bronze Astrolabe from 14th century Spain

There are two Temporary collections housed on the second floor gallery of the Museum. One of these is called The Garden of Ideas comprising contemporary Art from Pakistan of six selected artists — a singular distinction awarded to Pakistan by the Museum Trust. The second is called In Search of the Artist, which tells the story of the artist-student relationships from the 16th and 17th centuries.

In the Permanent collection on the ground floor where there is restricted light to preserve the treasures, a rich display arranged in chronological order awaits visitors, taking them on a journey of artistic brilliance that has defined Islamic history in past centuries. Describing all the treasures within would be beyond the present scope so a few prominent objects will be mentioned here.

Upon entrance, a video installation adorns the wall, telling a silent story of the creation of the pieces of art within. The multimedia makes different pieces come alive from a point of nothingness to their final look as if they were being created at that very moment. A compelling use of technology, the video animation sets the mood for the exhibition.

A marble fountain set from when the Mamluks ruled Egypt in the 15th century

Another installation creatively maps the beginnings, the spread and the flourishing of Islamic rule across the world, giving a quick education to the uninitiated.

There are several manuscripts of the Quran, some from undefined origins and some from the prominent dynasties of the Mughals, Safavids and the Qajars. Each era has added its own distinct style of adornment to the holy script. Some are absolutely plain in what appears to be the kufic script while others are illuminated with gilded embellishments, reflecting the tastes of the rulers of the time. The scripts are varying from Naqsh and Nastaliq to the Muhaqqaq, designed with floral frames and golden Mihrabs and in varying sizes of inscriptions. They perhaps also reflect the relationship with religion of the rulers of the time. For example, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who leaned towards a more austere version of Islam, expunged the more figural representation from the art practiced in his days.

Comprising over a 1000 art objects, the AGK museum collection has the novelty of presenting pieces of art from private collections from Geneva, Paris and London, hitherto not seen by the public — though only 250 or so will be on display at any one time since the exhibits are going to be rotated.

One particularly eye catching item is a ‘Shell with inscriptions’, 14.5 inch diameter in size, known to belong to 18th century India. The description states that it is: ‘a palm size, perfectly shaped mother of pearl shell with its luminous surface engraved with eight concentric rings containing verses from the Quran.’ The minute details and engravings on this fragile shell are wondrous to behold and display not only the craftsmanship of the day but also the expression of devotion as the shell was apparently used as a drinking vessel in its time.

Ablution basin.

Artistically displayed within a geometrically patterned sunken floor, in the centre of the room is a marble fountain set from when the Mamluks ruled Egypt in the 15th century. Belonging to a Palace courtyard, the fountain lends an aesthetic perspective to the room.

A mention of the Planispheric Astrolabe in Bronze, inlaid with silver, belonging to 14th century Spain is also necessary as it references the many scientific strides made by Muslims in Arabia. Inscribed in Arabic, Hebrew and Latin, it was a navigation tool and a highly technical device created in medieval times. The museum description of the Astrolabe states; ‘In the Iberian Peninsula of the 14th century, Muslim scientists worked together with Christian and Jewish counterparts to translate and transmit scientific knowledge to Europe. This astrolabe may have been made in Toledo, Spain, then a major centre of scientific translation.’

Also housed in the Permanent collection gallery is the ‘Qanun Fi’l-Tibb’. It is said to be ‘one of the oldest surviving copies the Canon of Medicine compiled by Iranian scholar Ibn-i-Sina (or Avicenna as known in the West).

Dish with floral patterns from Iznik Turkey.

The most fascinating display for me was the section dedicated to the Shah Nameh in a little ante-room of the Permanent collection. With strains of the recitation in Farsi creating the ambience, one is lulled into believing that they have been transported to 16th century Tabriz, where art and culture flourished and somewhere Persian features and Mongol art mingled as Firdousi penned his Shah Nameh. The paintings in the folio on display are from the Safavid dynasty era produced for Shah Tahmasp I (reigned 1524-76). The vividly captured scenes in intricate miniature style are fascinating to behold and are a full lesson in history. The inscription on one of the folio displays reads; ‘The Shah Nameh took twenty years or more to complete. Almost all major Iranian artists from the first half of the sixteenth century were involved in this monumental project. Its 258 illustrations are considered the zenith of the art of Iranian painting.

Before entering the Permanent and Temporary collections, the Aga Khan museum’s ‘free space’ allows visitors to browse through the atrium where the coffee shop is situated and from where hangs the impressive tapestry by the Lahore born, Pakistani artist, Aisha Khalid.  Titled, Your Way Begins on the Other Side, this tapestry is pierced in an intricate pattern with 1.2million pins and is more than six metres long with one side in burnished gold and red where the pins protrude to form a silky carpet look. The other side is delicately patterned on the style of a Persian carpet using cloth and pin heads to create outlines of animals and a garden. A truly compelling piece, no visitor to the museum can leave without marveling at its contemporary magnificence.

Open access is also allowed into the Bellerive room which is a recreation of Prince Sadruddin and Princess Catherine’s house in Geneva. It displays several pieces from their personal treasures, commemorating the Prince’s passion for collecting ceramics. The ceramic and porcelain plates are from different parts of the world, including Spain, Iran and Turkey. The vivid colours are reflective of the artistic preferences of where they come from. The Dish with floral patterns in blue, red and green from Iznik Turkey dating to ca.1570-80 in the Bellerive Room depicts the production of the Ottoman imperial kilns in the city of Iznik. Its inscription states; ‘The consistency of the Ottoman floral style helped establish a distinctive and singular visual brand for the Ottoman Empire (1299-1923). It is during this period that tulips caught Europe’s attention.’

The Aga Khan museum has so far received moderate attention in the media.

It was perhaps realised by His Highness that more than just a pretty façade would be needed to get the lukewarm Torontonians animated over an Islamic Art museum and so he planned several visits to the city — first to address Parliament in February and then in May to speak at the Every Woman Every Child conference in Toronto. He then came again for the grand opening of the museum and Ismaili Centre in which Prince Amyn Aga Khan was also present and which was also graced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

As Chairman of the Board of the Aga Khan Museum, His Highness is dedicated to promoting the artistic, intellectual and scientific contributions of the Muslim Civilisations — a much needed but Herculean task in the current climate.

There is some change in perception that the museum is enabling, though. The National Post in Toronto — an extreme Right Wing publication — wrote in its review, “Syria. Egypt. Afghanistan. Pakistan. These place-names drip with blood in 2014, conjuring images of unrest, protest, bombings and civil war. The Aga Khan Museum offers a welcome antidote to these clichés through art that celebrates the rich cultural history of the Islamic world.”

How far the perceptions will change is difficult to say, but for now it is definitely enthralling art lovers, even if it just gives a glimpse of the magnificent art and culture that once was the Islamic hallmark. . Sheeraz Wania, an Associate Professor of Media & Communications in Toronto and former Head of the department of Communication Design at Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, had this to say about the museum; “The museum is an oasis for me in terms of space and structure. I was bowled over and want to keep going back. The exhibits, especially the manuscripts were mind blowing as were the Pakistani artists’ temporary exhibits which included Atif Khan’s stamp with flowers and ants, where he refers to the coexistence of good and bad. What a great initiative.”

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, November 2nd, 2014