Architectural details of Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, a major Fatimids era site
  • 11 Feb 2026
  • Book launch

The Fatimids in Conversation: Power, Culture and Legacy

A hybrid conversation exploring the power, culture, and enduring legacy of the Fatimid dynasty (909–1171), bringing together leading scholars to reflect on new research into one of the most influential periods of medieval Islamic history.

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Ancient Fatimid gold coin with intricate inscriptions.
  • 28 Jan 2026
  • IHTLS

The bitterly contested succession to the Fatimid Imam al-Mustansir

Professor Paul E. Walker examines the disputed succession to Imam al-Mustansir and introduces an overlooked historical source that reshapes the debate.
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Marc Chagall artwork depicting the death of Moses near the Promised Land
  • 13 Jan 2026
  • Talks and Lectures

Parallel Productions of Petirat Moshe: Between Rabbinic–Shiʿi and Rabbinic–Sunni narratives on the death of Moses

This public lecture explores how Jewish and Muslim traditions developed parallel narratives on the death of Moses across Rabbinic, Shi‘i, and Sunni sources.
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Professor Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi book launch event at Aga Khan Centre London
  • 12 Jan 2026
  • Book launch

De la Lettre à l'Esprit/From the Letter to the Spirit

The Institute of Ismaili Studies will host a hybrid book launch celebrating De la Lettre à l’Esprit / From the Letter to the Spirit, a two-volume Festschrift honouring the scholarship of Professor Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi.
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Canticle of the Birds exhibition at Aga Khan Centre Gallery
  • 05 Dec 2025
  • Exhibition

Canticle of the Birds

A mixed-media exhibition inspired by ʿAṭṭār’s The Conference of the Birds, exploring spiritual journey, transformation, and interconnectedness through art.
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Formal gathering of distinguished gentlemen. Image for Ismailis and Empire conference
  • 10 Nov 2025
  • Conference

Ismailis and Empire: Politics, Religion and Culture, ca. 1800 to Present

This conference seeks to explore Ismaili Muslim communities – in their regional, political, and cultural diversity – since the nineteenth century, focusing on their experiences under modern empires and in the post-colonial world.
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Stylised sepia map of Africa representing the Indo-African diaspora event at the Aga Khan Centre
  • 23 Oct 2025
  • Talks and Lectures

Voice of the Indo-African Diaspora in Colonial Africa

In this discussion, we gain an insight into how the social, political, cultural, and economic activities of Indians in Africa were covered in the 20th century–told through the voices behind Africa Samachaar, a periodical that championed a voiceless minority during colonial rule.
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  • 08 Oct 2025
  • IHTLS

Sculpting the Self: Islam, Selfhood, and Human Flourishing

Associate Professor Muhammad U. Faruque explores what it means to be human in this Islamic History and Thought lecture
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view of the aga khan centre from lewis cubitt square
  • 26 Sep 2025
  • Conference

Imagined Futures: Thought, Art and Ethics in Muslim Societies

The third annual IIS/AKU-ISMC Graduate Conference takes place on 26 September, and is now open for registration. The conference showcases student-led research at The Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Aga Khan University – Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations.
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  • 24 Sep 2025
  • Talks and Lectures

Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi philosophy

Professor Dickson highlights Ibn ʿArabi insights on the origin of the world, the reality of love, the nature of life after death, and more.
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  • 04 Sep 2025
  • AIHLS

Reform of Uṣūl al-Fiqh and Marriage: A Spiritually Integrative Approach

Nevin Reda takes the conversation on gender justice deep into the realm of uṣūl al-fiqh (ethical–legal theory).
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The Prophet Muhammad, depicted as an inscribed and radiant disk, during his celestial ascension, Nizami, Makhzan al-Asrār (Treasury of Secrets).
  • 24 Jul 2025
  • IHTLS
  • Lecture series

Behind the Veil of the Night: The Black Light in Akbarian and Persianate Sufism

Dunja Rašić PhD explores Ibn ʿArabī’s notions of the night serving as the source of knowledge, power, and protection.
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  • 23 Jul 2025
  • Screening
  • Talks and Lectures

Merchant Ivory Film Wallahs: documentary screening and book launch

Join the IIS and the South Asian Cinema Foundation for a screening of Merchant Ivory Film Wallahs, accompanied by its book launch and the display of rare artefacts.
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