20 June 2014 — The Ismaili Centre, Lisbon was the venue for a traditional Iranian music performance by the Delnavazi Group. The concert was organised in partnership with the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Aga Khan Foundation book launch at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon. Courtesy of the Ismaili Council for Portugal

3 July 2013 —The Aga Khan Foundation Portugal held a book launch event for Nursery Education and Pedagogy in Participation.

4 July 2013 — The annual Aga Khan Development Network Imamat Day reception was held at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon today.

Dr Abbas Ali Shameli and Ismaili Council for Portugal President Amirali Bhanji at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon. José Caria

5 May 2013 — Dr Abbas Ali Shameli delivered an Ismaili Centre lecture on The Role of Religion in Human Life at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon.

UAE Ambassador to Portugal Najla Mohamed Al Qassimi meets with Aitmadi Amirali Bhanji, President of the Ismaili Council for Portugal. Magda Jiná

7 November 2014 — Her Excellency, Najla Mohamed Al Qassimi, the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Portugal visited the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon and met with the President of the Ismaili Council, Aitmadi Amirali Bhanji, and the AKDN Resident Representative, Vazir Nazim Ahmad. During her visit the ambassador received a tour of the Ismaili Centre and learnt about the work of the Aga Khan Development Network.

18 November 2014 — Dr Michael Barry, Professor at Princeton University and historian of the greater Middle East and Islamic world, made a presentation on the 12th century Persian masterpiece, The Canticle of the Birds by Farid al-Din Attar.

Lisbon, 8 January 2015 — Her Excellency, Kirsty Isobel Hayes, the British ambassador to Portugal visited the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon and met with the AKDN Resident Representative, Vazir Nazim Ahmad, and the President of the Ismaili Council, Aitmadi Amirali Bhanji.

Lisbon, 20 January 2015 — Her Excellency Leena Salim Moazzam, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Portugal, visited the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon and met with the AKDN Resident Representative, Vazir Nazim Ahmad, and the Vice-President of the Ismaili Council for Portugal, Huzur Mukhi Rahim Firozali. During her visit the ambassador received a tour of the Ismaili Centre and learnt about the work of the Aga Khan Development Network.

Lisbon, 7 February 2015 — With the support of the Ismaili Council for Portugal, the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon is hosting an exhibition this month titled Symmetry's Portal de Margarida Sardinha. The 3D installation features a core of 30 pieces and a movie illustrating the geometric symmetry present in the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. The epitome of Islamic architecture in the Iberian Peninsula, the Alhambra was also a source of inspiration for the architects of the Ismaili Centre.

Lisbon, 20 March 2015 — The High Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue and the General Directorate for Education hosted, for the second time, the Intercultural School Stamp Ceremony at the Ismaili Centre.

Established in 2011 this initiative is supported by the Aga Khan Foundation, Portugal. The aim of the award is to distinguish and publicly recognise schools, which, through their projects and practices, actively promote appreciation for cultural and linguistic diversity. Twenty four schools were recognised at this ceremony.

Lisbon, 13 May 2015 — His Excellency Ali Mohyee Eldin Elashiry, the Arab Republic of Egypt’s Ambassador to Portugal, toured the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon, and met with the President of the Ismaili Council, Aitmadi Amirali Bhanji and AKDN Resident Representative, Vazir Nazim Ahmad. This visit also provided an opportunity for the Ambassador to learn about the work of the Aga Khan Development Network.

Lisbon, 2 July 2016 — About 100 people attended a tribute to Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, held at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon in celebration of the launch of an exhibition of his latest project at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.

The exhibition Álvaro Siza: Gateway to the Alhambra explores the creative process behind one of his latest projects: the Alhambra’s new Visitor Centre in Granada, Spain, titled Puerta Nueva (New Gateway). The architect and exhibition curator António Choupina discussed the project in on on-stage interview.

Siza Vieira is considered to be among the world’s greatest living architects.

“The Alhambra is the site of the last great Muslim civilisation on the Iberian peninsula, inspiring countless artists and architects,” said Henry Kim, Director and CEO of the Aga Khan Museum. “With his vision for Puerta Nueva, Siza does the seemingly impossible: encompass the history of the Alhambra and achieve a timeless design. Only an architect of Siza’s stature could take on such a feat.”

In addition to Kim, other attendees present the tribute included Portuguese Secretary of State for Culture Miguel Honrado, Aga Khan Development Network Resident Representative Vazir Nazim Ahmad, Ismaili Council for Portugal President Huzur Mukhi Rahim Firozali, as well as senior leaders from the Aga Khan Foundation Portugal and other institutions.

The exhibition is a joint project of Aedes Architecture Forum, Berlin, and the Patronato of the Alhambra and Generalife, Granada, in partnership with the Aga Khan Museum.

Lisbon, 10 September 2016 — A graduation ceremony was held for 20 students who completed a photography workshop given by Fredric Roberts at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon.

Roberts brought his photography workshop programme to Portugal for the first time, in partnership with Aga Khan Foundation. The award-winning photographer is known for teaching high school aged students how to express their storytelling passion through still images.

Many of the 14 to 17-year-old students, who came from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, had never handled a professional camera before. The workshop presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn photography from an international team of professionals.

The goal of the programme was to teach the use of manual photography as a tool for communication and expression. The participants were carefully selected based on their merit and the interest they demonstrated. They came from territories where the Aga Khan Foundation works and where talent and positive energy run up against exclusion and limited opportunities.

Attended by some 200 people, the graduation ceremony capped a seven-day programme that included the inauguration of an exhibition of students’ photographs from the workshop. Several high-profile guests attended the ceremony, including the Secretary of State for Education and the Ambassador of Canada to Portugal.

Lisbon, 1 April 2016 — Professor Shafique Virani, an award-winning author and internationally recognised public speaker, addressed the Jamat on the topic of The Wonderful Tradition of Ginans.

Dr Virani is Distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto, Director of the Centre for South Asian Civilizations, and past chair of the Department of Historical Studies. He has previously been on the faculty of Harvard University and was the Head of World Humanities at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates.

Author of the award-winning book The Ismailis in the Middle Ages: A History of Survival, A Search for Salvation, Professor Virani has spoken widely to audiences in over 50 countries. He has received awards from numerous scholarly organisations, including an International Book of the Year prize and recognition from the Middle East Studies Association of North America, the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies, the Foundation for Iranian Studies, the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

Lisbon, 16 April 2016 — The Association for Childhood Education Professionals (APEI), in partnership with the Aga Khan Foundation Portugal, hosted the ninth edition of the event Being a Baby – Early Childhood Education: Concepts, Models and Perspectives at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon.

The gathering drew some 260 early childhood educators, students and other professionals with an interest in education from the earliest years of life. It featured a variety of presentations spanning theory to practice, with a particular focus on children from birth to 3 years of age.

AKF Portugal CEO Karim Merali, and APEI Chairman Luís Ribeiro presided over the opening session. A short play and the launch of the book Broken things can be beautiful were among the highlights of the event.

Lisbon, 19 April 2016 — The Ismaili Centre, Lisbon hosted a premiere screening of The Prophet, a film based on the literary work of Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran, which has sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

Written and directed by Roger Allers — director of the Oscar-winning film The Lion King — the animated production tells the story of Mustafa, a political prisoner, who meets a mischievous eight year old girl in the fictional island of Orphales. As Mustafa shares his wisdom and poems, the viewer is transported to breathtaking imaginary worlds. His nine stories carry messages of peace, love, friendship and brotherhood.

Acclaimed by critics worldwide, The Prophet had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2014 before being screened at other prestigious film festivals around the world. The voices of the animated characters come from well-known American actors including Salma Hayek (who also co-produced the film), Liam Neeson and Alfred Molina.

Portugal’s Secretary of State for Culture Miguel Honrado and High Commissioner for Migration Pedro Calado were present at the screening, along with Huzur Mukhi Rahim Firozali, President of the Ismaili Council for Portugal, and Ismaili Council Vice-President Huzur Mukhi Azim Manji.

Lisbon, 13 May 2016 — The Portuguese Cardiology Foundation once again returned to the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon for its annual symposium.

More than 30 speakers gave presentations on various panels of discussion, with topics such as “Therapeutic Advances in Heart Failure” and “The Heart and Sports: Causes and Prevention of Sudden Death in Athletes”. The gathering drew around 140 medical and healthcare professionals.

Lisbon, 21 June 2016 — The interplay between schools and culture was the subject of a conference hosted at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon by the Directorate-General for Education (Direção-Geral da Educação) of the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science in partnership with Aga Khan Foundation Portugal.

About 160 education professionals attended the conference, which focused on “The role of schools in the enjoyment of cultural universes”.

The opening session of the event featured speeches by the Minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, the Director-General José Vítor Pedroso, and Aga Khan Development Network Resident Representative Vazir Nazim Ahmad.

More than 15 speakers presented on various subtopics. Among them, was the Councilor Judge of the Supreme Court, the Curator of the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, a member of the National Council for Education, and the Director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, who held a roundtable discussion on “Doubts and Reasons for Art in Education”.

The closing session by Deputy-Director for Education, Eulália Alexandre, was followed by musical performance from CantAr-te Choirs, composed of students from three schools in Lisbon.