Ismaili Heritage
Ismaili Heritage (IH) is the first sustained tripartite collaboration between The Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, the Aga KhanA title granted by the Shah of Persia to the then Ismaili Imam in 1818 and inherited by each of his successors to the Imamate. Trust for Culture (AKTC) in Geneva, and the Ismaili community as represented by the Department of Jamati Institutions (DJI) in Lisbon and the Leaders International Forum (LIF).
Formally established in 2015 and housed at IIS, the project aims to document, protect, conserve, and celebrate the built and associated tangible heritage of the global Shia Ismaili Muslims.
IH is guided by key principles articulated by the Aga Khan IV, including to:
- develop an ‘encyclopaedic database’ of sites
- take pride in the symbols of Ismaili history
- validate Shiʿi voices and understand their contributions to Islamic civilisation
1757
Ismaili heritage sites identified around the world
1300
Ismaili heritage sites documented
61
countries around the world where sites have been identified
Our impact
At IIS, the work of Ismaili Heritage led directly to the publication of Farhad Daftary’s The Ismaili Imams: A Biographical History in 2020.
IH’s research and documentation work will feature increasingly in:
- IIS teaching and the Ta’lim curriculum
- Al Ummah and Global Encounters programmes
- Conservation and adaptive reuse of historic Ismaili sites
- Heritage tours
- New books, brochures, pamphlets, blogs, and newsletters
