Aga Khan Centre shows wonders of Islamic world
BRITAIN’S largest collection of Islamic gardens, terraces and courtyards is to be opened today by Prince Charles at a new Muslim education hub in the capital.
The Aga Khan Centre in King’s Cross, designed by Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, will have six landscaped open spaces inspired by different Muslim cultures from around the world.
There will also be four other havens of calm surrounding the tenstorey building, in what is the heart of one of London’s biggest regeneration districts.
Today’s inauguration will be attended by Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, also known as Aga Khan, right, the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
The white limestone building will house The Institute of Ismaili Studies, the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, and the Aga Khan Foundation UK.
The aim is to promote greater understanding of muslim cultures. Matt Reed, chief executive of the Aga Khan Foundation UK, said the gardens were a core feature of the design.
Mr Reed said: “He thought of them as an entry point into discovering and understanding the history and cultures of the Muslim world as well as making new public spaces for London.”
Islamic gardens are traditionally divided into four parts by water channels or walkways, reflecting the four gardens of paradise from the Qur’an.
The six gardens at the Aga Khan Centre include a covered “loggia” with a central fountain; a terrace inspired by the cloisters of southern Spain, Morocco and Egypt; a “courtyard of harmony” reminiscent of an “iwan” (a three-sided outdoor room found in the Middle East and Central Asia); a rooftop space based on the gardens of t h e Mu g h a l empire; a “terrace of discovery” inspired by a Persian throne known as a “talar”, and a “garden of light”.
The spaces, collectively known as the “Islamic Gardens at King’s Cross” will be open for public tours from September 22, as well as annual events such as Open House London every autumn.