Prince Karim Aga Khan IV laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt
He has been interred temporarily in the mausoleum of his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah (Aga Khan III) until a new mausoleum is built adjacent to it.
Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, was laid to rest in a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt, on Sunday.
The burial followed his passing at the age of 88 on February 4 in Lisbon, Portugal. Prince Karim was revered by his followers as a direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad and was known for his philanthropic efforts through the Aga Khan Development Network.
Mourners accompanied Prince Karim’s body as it was transported from a van to a yacht on the Nile River during the burial ceremony.
As reported, the Ismaili mourners marched as bells rang during the burial ceremony in the country’s southern Aswan province, as Prince Karim’s body was taken in a van. They carried his body, draped in a white shroud, and placed it on a yacht on the Nile River.
According to a statement issued by the community. Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan — the 50th hereditary Imam — and his family were present during the ceremony.
“The Governor of Aswan facilitated and participated in a dignified procession through the city to the banks of the River Nile,” it added.
After the ceremony, leaders expressed condolences to the family, and the Governor of Aswan presented Prince Rahim with a symbolic key to the City of Aswan as a mark of respect, it added.
On Saturday, a private funeral service took place at the Ismaili community centre in Lisbon attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spain’s King Emeritus Juan Carlos and Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
A new mausoleum for Mawlana Shah Karim will be constructed as his final resting place on land adjacent to the existing structure, the statement added.
The governor of Aswan welcomed Prince Karim’s family at the southern Egyptian province airport on Saturday.
“When his will was opened, it was found that he had requested to be buried in Aswan near his grandfather, Sultan Muhammad Shah, and his grandmother, Om Habiba,” said Maj. Gen. Ismail Kamal.
Following Prince Karim’s death, Rahim Al-Hussaini has been designated as Aga Khan V based on instructions from Prince Karim’s will. This decision marks him as the new spiritual leader for millions of Ismaili Muslims worldwide.
Late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV left behind three sons, Rahim Aga Khan, Aly Muhammad Aga Khan, and Hussain Aga Khan, and a daughter, Zahra Aga Khan.
