'Where the human meets further proof of the divine': Aga Khan officially opens Islamic garden
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A decade ago, plans for construction of the world’s northernmost Islamic garden located southwest of Edmonton seemed an unlikely dream, the Aga Khan told a crowd that gathered Tuesday to celebrate the opening of a $25-million garden he gifted to the University of Alberta.
The Aga Khan Garden, named for the 49th hereditary Imam of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims, sprawls over 4.8 hectares — about the size of 31 NHL hockey rinks, and is set amidst the larger University of Alberta Botanic Garden, located about 15 minutes southwest of the city.
“Down through many centuries, Islamic culture has continued to see the garden as a very special place, where the human meets further proof of the divine,” the Aga Khan said, speaking at a private inauguration ceremony for the garden Tuesday.
The Aga Khan spoke about the garden as a place not only for meditation and renewal, but also a social space “for learning, for sharing, for romance, for diplomacy, and for reflection on the destiny of the human race.”
Although the Aga Khan is a religious leader, his mandate includes embracing pluralism and improving the wider community. He received an honorary degree from the University of Alberta in 2009 for his lifelong contribution to humanity, the U of A said.
During the ceremony, Premier Rachel Notley, Lt.-Gov. Lois E. Mitchell and University of Alberta president David Turpin also spoke during the ceremony, thanking the Aga Khan for his gift.
Although planning spanned years, the garden took 18 months to build. The design is composed of three sections: a woodland ‘bagh’ (from the Persian word for garden); a large geometric formal garden featuring stone architecture, walkways and water features; and a bustan — a natural area surrounding a pond that’s bordered by fruit trees.
In addition to the garden’s elements, an amphitheatre was built into an existing woodland bowl.
The garden’s designer, landscape architects Nelson Byrd Woltz, said the goal was not only to showcase the beauty of Islamic history, but to promote a sense of unity through the geometry that flows through the design.
“The message of this garden is one, I believe, of pluralism,” principal architect Thomas Woltz said.
The ceremony was held inside a tent that will become the site of a pavilion called the Diwan, which will be funded by donors, Turpin said. When completed, the pavilion will be able to host events such as education groups or weddings.
The garden, which is the most northerly in a network of 11 traditional Islamic gardens the Aga Khan has built or restored around the globe, opened to visitors in July and a public celebration will be held in 2019.
