For many Ismailis, the Jamatkhana is the hub of communal life. It is where children are introduced to the values of Islam through volunteerism, caring for others, and engaging conversation. It is often the place where our spiritual lives blossom and where lifelong friendships are formed. It is where our loneliness finds company, a space of solace, and somewhere that anchors us. It is where we pray, learn, and meet.

 

The Jamatkhana is also a space where architecture, design, and the values of community come together. It is a space that has evolved to meet the changing needs of communal life, and where the built environment, the world of the Spirit, and the natural world fuse in novel and beautiful ways.

 

For more than 50 years, the Ismaili community in Canada has centered itself around this space.

 

Jamatkhanas in Canada: Architecture, Identity, Community is a special photographic exhibition that will be touring the country. It will be displayed at the Ismaili Centre, Toronto, from Saturday, May 25-Tuesday, June 4.