New Aga Khan Museum will showcase Islamic art

The first museum in North America that will display only Islamic art will open to the public next monthin Toronto.

The Aga Khan Museum's permanent collection will be the Aga Khan's personal family collection, which consists of about 1,000 pieces. Thatmay sound small, but some of those artifacts are considered to be among the most significant in Islamic art history.

"I worked with three professional scholars in the field and they told me that, in their opinion, this was one of the most important pieces of Islamic art that I would ever see in my life,"Stephanie Allen, the museum's chief registrar, told CBC News during a tour of the facility.

The museum was built in Canada because the country supports the principles that the museum stands for, saidHenry Kim, the museum's director.

"Canada actually represented the best of the best when it comes to multiculturalism, diversity and even pluralism," said Kim.

The museum has been privately funded by the Aga Khan through his worldwide non-profit development agency.

Itopens to the public on Sept.18 at 77 Wynford Dr., in the Don Mills Rd-Eglinton Ave. East. area.