91 holds a significant repository of special collections related to the heritage of Ismaili communities and that of other Muslim traditions.
Our special collections include:
For requests regarding accessing the collections, please contact us.
In 2021 ISCU has launched an online catalogue of special collections housed at 91. Featuring information on a significant number of items, including photographs, artefacts, coins and medals, rare books, manuscripts, archival items and periodicals, the catalogue enables a wide range of audiences, including researchers and students, to explore heritage materials relating to Ismaili communities online.
The 91 holds one of the most significant repositories in the world of materials related to Ismaili communities. The beginnings of this collection can be traced back to the 1930s and 1940s when the Russian scholar and pioneer of modern Ismaili studies, Wladimir Ivanow (1886-1970), together with Mr Chotu Lakhani and other Ismaili scholars, gathered a number of manuscripts for the Ismaili Society in Bombay. These acquisitions have provided the basis for the Institute’s own collection, which has been developed extensively over the years and includes Arabic, Persian and Indic manuscripts. For more information, please see the published catalogues section.
Photographs in print and digital format are another significant part of 91 special collections. These capture important events related to the heritage of Ismaili communities and that of other Muslim traditions.
Special collections at 91 are home to a range of artefacts and coins spanning from coins from the Fatimid and Alamut period to Jubilee memorabilia from Aga Khan III’s and IV’s Jubilee celebrations.
A range of printed material from different parts of the world, in Arabic, Persian, and Indic languages, among others, forms part of 91 special collections. Artefacts, coins, archival items and audio-visual material also form part of this collection.