The Aga Khan III mausoleum, a rectangular mosque-like building on top of a hill on the western bank of the Nile River in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan, is now at the centre of tourism hopes in the city.
These hopes were stimulated by the February 9 burial in the mausoleum’s tomb of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary imam of Ismaili Muslims.
Aga Khan IV, who died in Lisbon at the age of 88, asked to be buried in the tomb of his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III, the 48th imam of Ismaili Muslims, in Aswan.
A high-level funeral ceremony was organised for him, in the presence of family members and global leaders of the Ismaili community.
The mausoleum’s construction was completed in 1960. It has been a tourist magnet in southern Egypt for a long time since its construction.
Egyptian officials are now hopeful that the burial of Aga Khan IV in the mausoleum’s tomb will renew interest in the site, especially among the members of the Ismaili community, estimated at between 12 and 15 million worldwide.
“The burial of Aga Khan IV in Aswan is an exceptional event in the modern history of the city,” Ahmed Saleh, a representative of Aswan in the Egyptian parliament, told The New Arab.
“We hope this burial will promote Aswan as a tourist destination among Ismaili Muslims,” he added.
Architectural wonder
Aga Khan III fell in love with Aswan soon after he arrived in it in 1954 for treatment of rheumatism and bone inflammation. He was advised by one of his doctors to travel to the Egyptian city to seek treatment by burying himself in its hot sands.
Having undergone a phenomenal recovery, he decided to make the city his winter residence.
Aga Khan III then hired Egyptian architect, Farid Shafie, to construct the mausoleum for him on a plot of land awarded to him by the late Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Along with the mausoleum, Shafie also constructed what is now known as Villa Nour El Salam which became the winter residence of the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community.
In designing the mausoleum, engineer Shafie was influenced by the structure of Juyushi Mosque, an Islamic house of worship in Cairo constructed in 1085 during the reign of the Fatimid Imam-Caliph al-Mustansir Billah.
The mausoleum features a rectangular layout with a central dome and several smaller domes. It also features an interior mihrab (a niche in the wall of the mosque) for prayer.
Engineer Shafie used pink limestone in constructing the mausoleum and crenellated parapets (features of defensive structures) to line its outer wall.
There is an arched doorway on the western side of the building that serves as the only entrance to its interior.
There is also a large central dome on the eastern side of the mausoleum, which has arched tracery windows along the octagonal drum. Four miniature domes are also located on each corner of the outer wall.
Special place
Prince Karim’s burial in Egypt once more honours connections between his family and the Ismaili community, on one hand, and this Arab country and its Fatimid history, on the other.
The Fatimids’ influence continues to be felt in almost all aspects of life in Egypt until the present, including through the establishment of its capital, Cairo, in 969 CE.
The Fatimids also established al-Azhar Mosque, the Islamic world’s most important seat of learning, almost two years after they constructed Cairo.
Maintaining the same tradition of giving, the Ismaili community supported Egypt’s development over the years, including by constructing, al-Azhar Park — now the Egyptian capital’s most important green space which stands a short walk away from the ancient Fatimid quarter of the Egyptian capital and houses the al-Azhar and al-Hussein Mosque; construction that dates back to 1154.
Through the Aga Khan Development Network — an organisation active in human development in several states — the community has also restored some of Egypt’s ancient mosques.
This is perhaps why the members of the Ismaili community and their spiritual leader are held in high esteem in Cairo which courts other Shia communities, including the Dawoodi Bohra who invested millions of dollars in the past years in the restoration of some ancient mosques in different parts of Egypt.
Aswan Governor, General Ismail Kamal described the Aga Khan mausoleum as an important attraction. If interest is renewed in the site, it will join a large number of other sites across Egypt that can attract the members of the Ismaili community and other Shia Muslims, tourism experts said.
“Egypt is home to a large number of mosques and sites that belong to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad,” Basil al-Sisi, the deputy head of the Egyptian Travel Agents’ Association, told The New Arab.Â
“These sites appeal to all Muslims, including Shia Muslims, which gives the local tourism sector a very strong edge if the authorities pay special attention to them,” he added.
Looking ahead
Egypt’s hopes to revive interest in the Aga Khan mausoleum in Aswan coincide with efforts by tourism authorities to bring more activity to the tourism sector — which in 2023 contributed 24% of Egypt’s GDP and employed one in every 12 of the nation’s workers.
In 2024, this country received 15.7 million tourists, a number unprecedented in the local tourism sector’s history. Egypt hopes to raise this number to 18 million this year.
Tourism specialists pin hopes on current stable security conditions in the country and the government’s aggressive promotion policies to contribute to the achievement of this objective.
They are hopeful also that Egypt can make the most out of its religious tourism capabilities in the coming period.
To fully draw on its spiritual tourism capabilities, Egypt is reviving the Trail of the Holy Family, an aspiring project to attract Christians from all parts of the world to a long list of sites visited by Baby Jesus, Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph when they fled to Egypt between 7 and 4 BC from King Herod.
It is also launching the Great Transfiguration Project which puts the captivating mountainous landscape of St. Catherine city in South Sinai at its centre.
These and other sites, specialists said, can attract a huge number of tourists to Egypt and consequently increase the country’s tourism revenues.
“We have a vast reserve of tourist sites that appeal to the adherents of all religions, one that reflects Egypt’s cultural and religious diversity,” independent tourism expert, Magdi Selim, told The New Arab.
“These sites can attract a large number of tourists to Egypt in the coming years,” he added.
Amr Emam is a Cairo-based journalist. He has contributed to the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle and the UN news site IRIN
