AKDN | Culture

Thirteen of the planet’s 20 fastest growing cities are in areas of the developing world where AKDN works. Ten of those are in Africa. In many of these cities, green space has often been overwhelmed by growth, migration from the countryside and a lack of planning. Encroachment, both legal and illegal, has gradually swallowed up forests and grassland, diminishing green space. Overwhelmed by financial demands, municipalities have neglected the problem, assuming that green space was unproductive and therefore of little value – or worse, a financial liability.

AKTC is proving that green spaces instead can catalyse positive economic, social and cultural change. Over the last 20 years, we have rehabilitated and created 10 parks in Cairo, Bamako, Kabul, Delhi and elsewhere. The spaces are hugely popular amongst local populations and international visitors and are running surpluses.

AKTC has demonstrated that parks not only contribute to the quality of life in cities, but that they can be self-sustaining if conceived and managed properly. Under the correct conditions, we have shown that parks and gardens can also be economic generators, driving positive change through social development, local employment, entrepreneurial activity and cultural development.

Museums are no longer just repositories of culture, but vital educational institutions that can have a profound effect on public discourse. Museums testify to the existence of other cultures and faiths in ways that go beyond the written or spoken word. They provide evidence of other realities, other histories and other influences beyond the ones we might have learned or perceived. They foster dialogue and promote tolerance and mutual understanding amongst people. At their best, museums champion diversity, pluralism, the exchange of ideas and intellectual enrichment.

The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, established in 2014, aims to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the contributions that Muslim civilisations have made to world heritage. It contains over a thousand artefacts and artworks and spans over a thousand years of history. It is designed and curated to present an overview of the artistic accomplishments of Muslim civilisations, from the Iberian Peninsula to China.

In response to a dramatic increase in visitors to Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, AKTC is constructing a state-of-the-art site museum at the entrance to the Tomb. The Museum’s aims include a better understanding of Mughal architecture, its associated building craft traditions and the development of the Nizamuddin area’s pluralist cultural traditions, which defined Hindustani culture for at least five centuries.

The University of Central Asia’s Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit helps people in its region protect, disseminate and draw upon their cultural heritage. It undertakes research, translation and publication of scholarship, history and collections of material, widening access to Central Asia’s cultural heritage and promoting understanding across cultures and generations. Publications may be freely downloaded.

The Aga Khan University’s (AKU) Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations LINK opens new perspectives on the diversity of the Muslim world. Its interdisciplinary research projects include Muslim cultures in the Indian Ocean, popular culture and cultural memory dating from the fifth to the 15th century. AKU is a partner for Google’s Arts and Culture site

We support musicians, architects and scholars with our resources, education and awards, and use the restoration of historic cities as a springboard for social, cultural and economic development. Find out more about AKDN’s work in architecture, music and restoration.