Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture records

The records of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture document the activity of the program at MIT from its inception in 1979, primarily through administrative records and reports, newsletters, annual reports, and the records of its decision-making body, the Executive or Program Committees. Material in series 11 (Videodisc Project Records) relates to preparation of a videodisc. Series 12 (Photographs of religious Documents) contains material created for the videodisc by Catherine B. Asher, including 4700 5 1/2" x 8" black-and-white photographs taken by Asher and corresponding worksheets that document historic Islamic tombs and mosques in the Bihar and West Bengal regions of India and Bangladesh. In 1984 500 of these photographs were included on the Images of Islamic Architecture videodisc project. The collection also includes records about the computer program documentation and the database for the videodisc project.

Collectively the records document the unique relationship between the programs at MIT and Harvard and their larger governing bodies with a worldwide presence, including the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the Aga Khan Development Network, and His Highness the Aga Khan. The relationship with the Trust for Culture in particular is well-documented in reports, correspondence, budgets, and committees reporting to the Trust.

The evolution of the academic program is evident in the records through reports, course programs, and committee meeting minutes, but the records also reflect AKPIA's interest in outreach and activities beyond the academic program at MIT through the records of the Parallel Centers program, AKPIA publications, and conference and symposium records, including 10 audio reels of a 1987 symposium. The records and meeting minutes of the Executive and Program Committees document the day-to-day decision and policy-making in regard to the academic program and the Aga Khan Program as a whole.

Digital material in this collection include the Report to the MIT President, 1997-1998, style guide, and template all in various version of Microsoft Word. There is also one archived website capturing the programs main website.