With 25,000 plants, 120 fruit trees, 12 water features and more than 650 tonnes of granite and polished limestone, it is far from your typical garden. Then again, that was the point – to make it something distinctive, a place for contemplation.
The Aga Khan Garden, part of the University of Alberta Botanic Garden, was formally opened Tuesday afternoon with the 81-year-old spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims overseeing the completion of his $25-million gift to the university.
The garden is a 4.8-hectare expanse located southwest of Edmonton and is designed to highlight the architecture and feel of an Islamic garden. Of the many projects the Aga Khan Development Network has undertaken to promote peace and well-being, the Aga Khan Garden is the most northerly based, a tribute to the U of A’s continuing relationship with the Aga Khan.
Source: ALLAN MAKI – www.theglobeandmail.com – Aga Khan oversees official launch of Alberta garden
Ismailimail 