Institute of Ismaili Studies

The Institute of Ismaili Studies stands in London as a research centre devoted to Muslim cultures and societies. It was founded in 1977 by the Aga Khan to deepen understanding of Ismaili thought and its links with other traditions. The institute also serves as a meeting place for the Ismaili community to explore its own history, including esoteric strands of Islam and Shi‘i scholarship. Its library holds the world’s largest accessible collection of Ismaili manuscripts, with around thirty thousand items in Arabic, Persian and Gujarati. The collection grew from early efforts in the 1930s by scholars such as Wladimir Ivanow and Asaf Fyzee, who worked to recover Ismaili texts preserved in South Asia. The library continues to expand through donations and copies of manuscripts held elsewhere, including the Zahid Ali and Sherali Alidina collections. Two graduate programmes are offered: the three-year Graduate Programme in Islamic Studies and Humanities and the Secondary Teacher Education Programme. Visitors find a calm study environment supported by the library’s catalogued holdings and published works. The institute publishes curriculum materials for Ismaili children in eight languages, known as the Ta‘lim Programme, and scholarly editions of primary texts. Its board is chaired by the Aga Khan and includes academics such as Professor Ali Asani and Dr Zayn Kassam, who became director in 2023.