Image - First Ismaili Centre in Middle East

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Gujarati and Khojki Manuscript -Kalame Mawla

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Imam ‘Ali’s aphorisms and wise counsels inspired the spiritual life of Muslims through the centuries and in many different lands. His words were thus translated into numerous languages across the Muslim world. The Kalame Mawla is a moving poetic rendition of his teachings in Hindustani. The work exhorts the believers to observe virtues such as brotherhood, honesty and generosity. This manuscript, written in a beautiful Khojki hand in Mumbai (Bombay), contains a few choice couplets at the end, including a verse of the famous Persian poet Hafiz.
Copied in 1908 samvat/1851 by Khoja Alahrakhea Koriji
80 pages, 200 x 150 mm



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19th century copy of the Qur’an from Kashmir

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Illuminated 19th century copy of the Qur’an from Kashmir

This copy of the Holy Qur’an is a fine example of nineteenth century Kashmir manuscript production with strong calligraphy and intricate illumination. With three illuminated double pages, this manuscript is written in an elegant naskhi hand, with a marginal translation and commentary in Persian.

www.iis.ac.uk




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Coinage of the Fatimids

“Coins and the discipline of numismatics which deals with them, lie at the crossroads of so many historical, cultural and artistic concerns that hardly anyone studying a traditional civilization or an earlier period of history has been able to avoid handling or dealing with these thousands of small gold, silver or copper objects. Economic historians see in them the abstract standards used for maintaining regional or international exchanges, and draw from them important conclusions about inflationary practices, or the presence or absence of gold and silver. To political historians the primary interest of coins derives from their official character. Manufactured under strict governmental control in state-run mints, coins exhibit signs of power and authority, and changes in those signs usually imply major political or ideological changes. Historians of art have many reasons for being fascinated by coins, but a methodologically important one is that most are dated and thus provide benchmarks for the art historian’s maniacal passion for chronological sequence. In addition, coins are visual messages carried to a vast public, and their sheer number gives a sense of what was meant to be part of the natural visual language of a culture or of a historical moment. Social historians and ethnographers know how much coins were part of the complex system of gift-giving which characterises any human group.” Oleg Grabar, Centuries of Gold: The Coinage of Medieval Islam. London: Zamana Gallery, 1986, “Introduction”, p. 6.

The Fatimid caliphate was established in 909 in North Africa, and soon extended into Sicily, Egypt, Palestine and Syria reaching the peak of its power during the long reign of the 8th Fatimid Imam-caliph al-Mustansir bi’llah (d. 1094). During this period of almost 2 centuries, the Fatimids created a prosperous state with a remarkable intellectual, economic and cultural vitality.

Select a mint for more:

The selection of Fatimid coins presented here are important documents providing unique chronological and historical details. Further, the fine, elegant epigraphy, the more open design characterised by its circular emphasis, and the myriad of stylistic and artistic variations makes Fatimid coinage particularly interesting.

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MHI UAE Visit Images

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Ismaili Economic Forum

Ismaili Economic Forum

Delegates at the Euroventures Conference participate in a workshop. Photo: Arlindo Alves Homem.
Developed in consultation with National Councils globally, the Ismail Economic Forum (IEF) is a Golden Jubilee International Programme that seeks to provide a springboard for increased collaboration among Ismaili entrepreneurs, strategic business alliances, Jamati institutions, and AKDN institutions. The IEF will formally launch with an international conference in Dubai, from April 26th – 28th, 2008. This first conference will focus on value creation through the formation and strengthening of strategic business alliances.

Participants at the All India Business Alliance Conference (AIBAC) in Hyderabad watch a presentation by fellow alliance members. Photo: Rafik Khimani
Who can attend the conference?
Participation in the IEF conference is through formal invitation only. Each National Council has been allocated a limited number of places in the IEF conference. Delegates from each country will be nominated through a selection process handled by the National Council and the Economic Planning Board (EPB). For more information, please contact the National Council office or an EPB member in your country of residence.

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Kharadar Karachi Jamat Khana, decorated for Navroz Mubarak celebrations

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