Prince Amyn Muhammad Aga Khan ( fa, امین محمد آغا خان , ur, ; born 12 September 1937) is the younger brother of

Aga Khan IV Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He ha ...

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...

of the Nizari Isma'ili sect of

Shia Islam Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...

. He is the son of Prince

Aly Khan Prince Ali Salman Aga Khan (13 June 1911 – 12 May 1960), known as Aly Khan, was a Pakistani diplomat of Iranian and Italian descent. He was the son of the Aga Khan III, and the father of Aga Khan IV. A socialite, racehorse owner and jockey, ...

and Princess Tajuddawlah Aga Khan (''née'' Joan Yarde-Buller).

Early life and education

Prince Amyn was born on 12 September 1937 in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

. Like his elder brother, he attended the

Institut Le Rosey Institut Le Rosey (), commonly referred to as Le Rosey or simply Rosey, is a private boarding school in Rolle, Switzerland. Founded in 1880 by Paul-Émile Carnal on the site of the 14th-century Château du Rosey in the town of Rolle in the cant ...

and

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher ...

. He graduated from Harvard in 1960 with an A.B. ''magna cum laude'' in literature and economics. He further pursued graduate studies in comparative literature at Harvard, receiving an A.M. in comparative literature in 1963 whilst also studying at the

New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music Music school, conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The ...

. During his studies he was additionally engaged as a graduate instructor in French.

Professional and charitable activities

After completing his graduate studies he worked at the United Nations Secretariat for the

Department of Economic and Social Affairs The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is responsible for the follow-up to major United Nations Summits and Conferences, as well as services to the United Nations Econ ...

from 1964 until 1968, after which time he took on leadership roles in a variety of Ismaili institutions. On 7 December 1974 he was invested as

Chief Scout A Chief Scout is the principal or head scout for an organization such as the military, colonial administration or expedition or a talent scout in performing, entertainment or creative arts, particularly sport. In sport, a Chief Scout can be the prin ...

of the Ismaili Scouts Association in a ceremony in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

. As of 2006, he was chairman of the executive committee of the

Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development SA is a Swiss for-profit entity and international development finance institution which invests in countries of East Africa, West Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland ...

(AKFED) and of Tourism Promotion Services Ltd., parent company of the

Serena Hotels Serena Hotels is a hospitality company which operates up-scale hotels and resorts in East Africa, Southern Africa and South Asia. Serena comprises a collection of 36 luxury resorts, safari lodges, and hotels, which are located in East Africa (K ...

chain and chairman of the Board of the Directors of the Aga Khan Museum. In December 2015, he was accredited as the Personal Representative of the Aga Khan to Bangladesh. He has variously been a member of the Acquisitions Committee of the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

, Chairman of the Friends of the Domaine de Chantilly, a trustee of the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...

, and a director of the

Silk Road Project Silkroad, formerly the Silk Road Project, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization, initiated by the cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, promoting collaboration among artists and institutions, promoting multicultural artistic exchange, and studying the ebb and ...

. Prince Amyn Aga Khan, brother of the spiritual leader of the Ismailis, who recently donated to Porto the painting "Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple", now guarded at the Soares dos Reis National Museum received the Medal of Honour of Porto City in a ceremony that took place on 9 July 2019. Prince Amyn Aga Khan was awarded the city's Medal of Honour by the Mayor of the Porto Municipality, Rui Moreira who presided over a ceremony at the Casa do Roseiral, in the Gardens of the Palacio de Cristal. The medal was presented in honour of "a great patron of the arts."

References

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Amyn Living people 1937 births New England Conservatory alumni Harvard College alumni . British Ismailis Noorani family Qajar dynasty Alumni of Institut Le Rosey Harvard University alumni British people of Iranian descent British people of Italian descent British people of Pakistani descent British people of Indian descent British expatriates in Switzerland People from Geneva 20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam 21st-century Muslim scholars of Islam People associated with the Louvre