Aga Khan, leader of Ismaili Muslims, laid to rest in Egypt during private burial

Aswan, Egypt — 

The Aga Khan IV was laid to remainder connected Sunday astatine a backstage ceremonial successful Aswan, Egypt.

The decease of Prince Karim -- the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims -- was announced Tuesday by the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili spiritual community. His son, 53-year-old Rahim Al-Hussaini, has been named arsenic the Aga Khan V, the spiritual person of the world's millions of Ismaili Muslims, according with his father's will.

On Saturday, a backstage ceremonial work took spot astatine the Ismaili assemblage halfway successful Lisbon attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spain's King Emeritus Juan Carlos and Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to beryllium a nonstop descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is treated arsenic a caput of state.

The politician of Aswan welcomed Prince Karim's household astatine the confederate Egyptian's provinces airdrome connected Saturday.

"When his volition was opened, it was recovered that helium had requested to beryllium buried successful Aswan adjacent his grandfather, Sultan Muhammad Shah, and his grandmother, Om Habiba," said Maj. Gen. Ismail Kamal.

Ismaili mourners marched arsenic bells rang during the burial ceremonial successful the country's confederate Aswan province, arsenic Prince Karim's assemblage was taken successful a van. They carried his body, draped successful a achromatic shroud, and placed it connected a yacht connected the Nile River.

Prince Karim, 88, was fixed the rubric of "His Highness" by Queen Elizabeth successful July 1957, 2 weeks aft his grandfather, the Aga Khan III, unexpectedly made him heir to the family's 1,300-year dynasty arsenic person of the Ismaili Muslim sect.

The precocious Aga Khan evolved implicit decades into a concern magnate and a philanthropist, moving betwixt the spiritual and the worldly with ease. He was a defender of Islamic civilization and values, but besides wide regarded arsenic a builder of bridges betwixt Muslim societies and the West.

The Aga Khan Development Network deals chiefly with issues of wellness care, housing, acquisition and agrarian economical development. It says it works successful implicit 30 countries and has an yearly fund of astir $1 cardinal for nonprofit improvement activities.

Ismailis lived for galore generations successful Iran, Syria and South Asia earlier besides settling successful eastbound Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, arsenic good arsenic Europe, North America and Australia much recently. They see it a work to donate up to 12.5% of their income to the Aga Khan arsenic steward.