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Hazar Imam and Princess Zahra in Solo, Indonesia 1995-11-25

Mawlana Hazar Imam applauds as Mr Mintimer Shaimiev, State Counselor of the Republic of Tatarstan, receives special recognition for his lifetime effort and dedication to protect the heritage of Tatarstan.
Photo: Akbar Hakim

Bismillah-ir-Rahaman-ir-Rahim

As-Salam-Alai-Kum, Peace be upon you

Your Excellency Mintimer Shaimiev,
Your Excellency Eleonora Mitrofanova,
Respected Members of the Government,
Distinguished Guests

What an enormous pleasure it is to welcome all of you to this ceremony.

We gather today with a group of extraordinary people, in an extraordinary place, and for an extraordinary purpose.

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is organised around a series of three-year cycles - each one culminating in the recognition of our Award recipients.

Geneva, Switzerland, 25 April 2019 – The 20 shortlisted projects for the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture were announced today. The projects will compete for US$ 1 million in prize money.

In a profession crowded with prizes, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture remains one of the world’s most significant and influential honors. Established in 1977 by His Highness the Aga Khan, the awards, which are given every three years, shine a light on parts of the globe that are often overlooked by Western critics and professionals. The prizes focus on projects that have an impact on communities with Muslim populations and histories, often in underserved areas. Contenders for the award can be new buildings or adaptive re-use, landscape and urban design projects.

Standing in the heart of Roman Constantinople, next to Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar and its open air market of secondhand books and manuscripts, the Beyazit State Library demonstrates that a 19th-century Ottoman edifice can retain its character and still serve the public on a daily basis.

KAZAN, Russian Federation, 4 hours, 31 minutes ago

The 20 shortlisted projects for the 2019 Aga Khan Award for Architecture were announced today in Kazan at an exhibition on the awards. Among them were the Bahrain's Revitalisation of Muharraq, Oman's Muttrah Fish Market in Muscat and Sharjah's Wasit Wetland Centre.

The expo was inaugurated by Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan. The shortlisted projects, which are located in 16 different countries, will compete for $1 million in prize money.

I would like to begin by expressing the Award’s gratitude to His Majesty the King and the Government of Morocco for having welcomed the Award to have its third Prize giving Ceremony here in Marrakech. I would also like to thank most warmly the Cabinet Ministers of the various countries who have done the Award and the profession and the winning projects. The honour of having come from their countries to participate in these ceremonies and to testify thereby their interest in the work that is being done within their own countries to develop a better environment for the people who live there.

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Assalamu-Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
and Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah
Honourable Ministers
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests

Remarks by His Highness the Aga Khan upon receiving The Architectural League of New York’s 2017 President’s Medal

May 19, 2017

New York, NY, USA

I couldn’t accept this wonderful recognition without expressing to you all the deepness of my gratitude and my thanks.
In thinking about the way societies live in the developing world, in the industrialized world, I came to a very simple conclusion: what is the art form that has the most important impact on every society in every part of the world? And the answer is quite simply - architecture

Ranjit Sabikhi (left) Indian architect and Ramesh Khosla (right), Canadian designer, posing with His Highness the Aga Khan after receiving the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for their design of the Sheraton Mughal Hotel at Agra, India, 1980. Photo: AKDN / Christopher Little

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture is given every three years to projects that set new standards of excellence in architecture, planning practices, historic preservation and landscape architecture. Through its efforts, the Award seeks to identify and encourage building concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of societies across the world, in which Muslims have a significant presence. (akdn.org)

Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Award Ceremony for the 12th Cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture – Lisbon, September 6, 2013
06 September 2013

Please also see: AKAA Press Material, Press Release in English.

Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim

Your Excellency President Cavaco Silva
Your Excellency Vice-Prime Minister Paulo Portas
Honourable Mayor António Costa
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Lisbon, 30 April 2013 – The shortlist of nominees for the 2013 cycle of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture was announced today at the Palacio das Necessidades (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The 20 nominees for the US$ 1 million prize range from a modern high rise apartment block to the revival of traditional building techniques. Shortlisted projects, which are selected by an independent Master Jury, are located in Afghanistan, Austria, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand and Yemen. The shortlist includes:

I should very much like to express, on behalf of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, as well as all of the participants in this seminar and myself personally, our warmest thanks to the President of the Republic of Senegal, Mr. Abdou Diouf, who opened our debates and to Mr. Oumar Welle, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, who encouraged and aided us in organising the seminar. I would like to take this opportunity to pay homage to the country, to the government and to the Senegalese participants who have all contributed to our having an extremely open, creative and fruitful debate.

I would like to begin by thanking His Majesty King Hussein for honouring us by opening our seminar. His participation clearly illustrates Jordan's concern for the evolution of Islamic architecture. I wish to welcome His Majesty most warmly, and to express our great pleasure at this opportunity to hold the fifth seminar of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the 2001 Award Presentation Ceremony of the Aga Khan Award For Architecture, The Citadel (Aleppo, Syria)
06 November 2001

Your Excellency Prime Minister Miro
Honourable Ministers
Your Excellencies
Distinguished Guests

It is with great joy that I open the 2001 Presentation Ceremony of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. To do so in Syria and in this great city of Aleppo is exhilarating. For me, it is moving in a very personal way, for it takes place in a land of shared history and common heritage.