Book cover of Illuminating Scriptural Connections: A Qur’anic Commentary on the Torah, by Rick Sopher and Abdulla Galadari.
  • 10 Nov 2026
  • Book launch

Illuminating Scriptural Connections: A Qur’anic Commentary on the Torah

Join Rick Sopher and Dr Abdulla Galadari for the launch of Illuminating Scriptural Connections: A Qur’anic Commentary on the Torah. In conversation with Dr Karen Bauer and Professor Shari Lowin, the authors explore what the two scriptures share.

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Medieval Persian manuscript scene of scholars in discussion
  • 11 Nov 2026
  • IHTLS

The Ghulāt and the making of early Shiʿi memory

In this lecture, Dr Dariouche Kechavarzi will examine the figure of the ghulāt and its role in shaping early Shiʿi memory and the construction of heresy and orthodoxy in Islam.
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Cover of Theology in Thirty-Six Dialogues (and Sixty Lessons), translated by Rumee Ahmed, framed by a blue and gold tiled vault.
  • 09 Nov 2026
  • IHTLS

God, the universe, and us: on classical Islamic theology in the modern day

Professor Rumee Ahmed and Dr Wafi Momin discuss classical Islamic theology in this Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series (IHTLS) lecture.
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Black-and-white photograph of seated musicians playing wind instruments and drums, with onlookers.
  • 05 Nov 2026
  • Talks and Lectures

Hareep: the music, the musicians, and the stories behind the tradition

Discover Hareep, the musical tradition of Hunza in northern Pakistan, through live performance and conversation with master musicians and researchers. The evening also launches the digitised edition of Colin Huehns’s 1991 dissertation, Music of Northern Pakistan.
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  • 04 Nov 2026
  • Screening

From oral realities to reel: history, memory and stories in HunDan

IIS screens HunDan: An Echo of a Dirge, the first feature film made in the Burushaski language. The screening is followed by a conversation with writer-director Karamat Ali on the folk traditions behind the film.
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Embroidered cap seen from above, with orange and red floral medallions and paisley motifs on a white ground.
  • 29 Oct 2026
  • Exhibition

Performing Arts of Central Asia Music, Dance & Cultural Expressions of Central Asia

Explore the music, dance, and costume of Central Asia through musical instruments, textiles, film, and archival photographs. The exhibition runs at the Aga Khan Centre Gallery, London, from Thursday 29 October 2026 to Sunday 28 February 2027.
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Stylised illustration of dancers in colourful clothing performing expressive movement in a theatrical composition for MENACASEA
  • 28 Oct 2026
  • Conference

MENACASEA 2026 Symposium Music, Dance and Spirituality in Muslim Contexts

Register for MENACASEA 2026, a hybrid symposium bringing together scholars, artists and practitioners to explore music, dance, performance and spirituality in Muslim contexts.
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Medieval map of Fatimid Sicily and Mediterranean sea routes from the Book of Curiosities manuscript
  • 19 Oct 2026
  • Conference

Fatimid Sicily: History, Memory, and Legacy

IIS will host a two-day conference on Fatimid rule in Sicily on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 October 2026, examining its history, memory and legacy
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Mughal arches framing a courtyard at Agra Fort in India
  • 13 Oct 2026
  • Book launch
  • Talks and Lectures

Towards a New Global Multilateralism: Greater Inclusivity and Mutual Respect

Dr Christophe Bernasconi, Secretary General of the HCCH, will deliver a lecture on inclusive multilateralism at the Aga Khan Centre, alongside the global launch of Contemporary Trends in Sharia.
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Madrid Skylitzes miniature of the 829 embassy between Theophilos and Caliph Al-Ma'mun
  • 07 Oct 2026
  • IHTLS

Towards a History of Syriac Intellectuals in Abbasid Iraq in the Ninth Century

IIS will host an online IHTLS lecture on 7 October 2026, in which Dr Mara Nicosia will explore the education of Syriac Christian intellectuals in Abbasid Iraq and their role in translating Greek philosophy into Arabic.
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Book cover of Sonic Relations by Stefan Williamson Fa featuring a devotional procession in Turkey
  • 29 Sep 2026
  • Book launch

Sonic Relations: Devotion and Community in Turkey’s Eastern borderlands

The Institute of Ismaili Studies will host the launch of Sonic Relations, exploring how sound, devotion, and ritual shape communal life among Twelver Shi‘i communities across Turkey and connected regions.
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Persian miniature painting of eight seated figures in a walled courtyard, gathered in discussion beneath a large tree.
  • 28 Sep 2026
  • Conference

Muslim Lives in Transition: Continuity and Change in Contemporary Times

Registration is open for the IIS Annual Graduate Conference 2026. Join emerging scholars exploring how Muslim lives are shaped by continuity and change.
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Ismaili Tajik men gathered around ritual fire in Xinjiang
  • 16 Sep 2026
  • IHTLS

Ismailis of China: history, culture and tradition

This hybrid lecture explores the social history and cultural life of the Ismaili Tajiks in Xinjiang. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and oral histories, Dr Amier Saidula examines how ritual practice, storytelling and vernacular knowledge sustain religious heritage and collective identity amid historical change.
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