Amyn Aga Khan

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Amyn Aga Khan
Born (1937-09-12) 12 September 1937 (age 86)
Geneva, Switzerland
Names
Amyn Muhammad
HouseNoorani
FatherAly Khan
MotherJoan Yarde-Buller
ReligionNizari Isma'ili Shia Islam

Prince Amyn Muhammad Aga Khan (Persian: امین محمد آغا خان‎, Urdu: امین محمد آغا خان; born 12 September 1937) is the brother of Aga Khan IV, Imam of the Nizari Isma'ili sect of Shia Islam. He is the son of Prince Aly Khan and Princess Tajuddawlah Aga Khan (née Joan Yarde-Buller).

Early life and education[edit]

Prince Amyn was born on 12 September 1937 in Geneva.[1] Like his elder brother, he attended the Institut Le Rosey and Harvard College. He graduated from Harvard in 1960 with an A.B. magna cum laude in literature and economics. He further pursued graduate studies in comparative literature at Harvard, receiving an A.M. in comparative literature in 1963 whilst also studying at the New England Conservatory.[2] During his studies he was additionally engaged as a graduate instructor in French.[1]

Professional and charitable activities[edit]

After completing his graduate studies he worked at the United Nations Secretariat for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs from 1964 until 1968, after which time he took on leadership roles in a variety of Ismaili institutions.[2] On 7 December 1974 he was invested as Chief Scout of the Ismaili Scouts Association in a ceremony in Karachi.[1] As of 2006, he was chairman of the executive committee of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and of Tourism Promotion Services Ltd., parent company of the Serena Hotels chain[1] and chairman of the Board of the Directors of the Aga Khan Museum.[3] In December 2015, he was accredited as the Personal Representative of the Aga Khan to Bangladesh.[4]

He has variously been a member of the Acquisitions Committee of the Louvre Museum, Chairman of the Friends of the Domaine de Chantilly[note 1], a trustee of the World Monuments Fund, and a director of the Silk Road Project. Prince Amin Aga Khan, brother of the spiritual leader of the Ismaili, who recently donated to Porto the painting "Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple", now guarded at the Soares dos Reis National Museum received the Medal of Honour of Porto City in a ceremony that took place on 9 July 2019.[5] Prince Amin Aga Khan was awarded the city's Medal of Honour by the Mayor of the Porto Municipality, Rui Moreira who presided over a ceremony at the Casa do Roseiral, in the Gardens of the Palacio de Cristal. The medal was presented in honour of "a great patron of the arts."[2]

The Municipality of Porto and the Aga Khan Portugal Foundation signed a cooperation agreement, in Alfândega do Porto, on Monday, 6 June 2023: which aims to "promote the quality of life of the population of the municipality, with a special focus on publics and territories with greater challenges". The document was signed by the Mayor, Rui Moreira, and Prince Amyn Aga Khan, even before the "Schools2030 Global Forum", which takes place for the first time in our country.

On June 9, 2023 at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Prince Amyn Aga Khan who arrived the day before in Toronto spent the day at the AKM. The Auditorium has been renamed the Nanji Family Foundation Auditorium following an important donation by Pyarali Nanji family. Pyarali Nanji was Mukhi in Montreal at the time of the establishment of the present Jamaatkhana and is well know for his long standing philanthropy both in the community and in the society at large.

On September 27, 2023, Prince Amyn Aga Khan met Elizabeth Dowdeswell on Wednesday. The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell is the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. As the representative of His Majesty The King, Ms. Dowdeswell carries out constitutional and ceremonial duties and facilitates healthy citizen and community engagement. In the past, The Lieutenant Governor has addressed the opening the Aga Khan Museum’s exhibition, The World of the Fatimids. Her Honour is honorary patron of the museum. Thursday the AKM was closed in preparation for the Lapis Ball which raised over one million dollars in support for the Aga Khan Museum.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Tajddin, Mumtaz Ali, ed. (2006). "Amyn Muhammad, Prince". Encyclopaedia of Ismailism. Karachi: Islamic Book Publishers.
  2. ^ a b c "AKDN Leadership". Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Aga Khan Museum". Aga Khan Museum. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  4. ^ "Prince Amyn Aga Khan presents credentials to Bangladesh, visits AKDN sites" (Press release). Aga Khan Development Network. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Príncipe Amyn Aga Khan distinguido pela Câmara do Porto". www.jn.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2019-10-01.

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Management of the Domaine de Chantilly was transferred to the Aga Khan for a 20-year period starting in 2005.