Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, was laid to rest in Aswan, Egypt, on Sunday during a private ceremony. His death, which was announced on February 4, 2025, at the age of 88, has left the global Ismaili Muslim community in mourning. He was laid to rest in Aswan in accordance with his last wish.

Prince Karim later became widely recognised as Aga Khan IV, serving as the 49th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Mwinyi joined world leaders in mourning his passing.

The Aga Khan IV was often referred to as a philanthropist, but the description ignores the spiritual impetus for his work.

In his inaugural address, he “pledged to dedicate his life to care for the spiritual and material well-being of the Ismaili Jamat.”

Prince Rahim succeeds his late father, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who passed away on February 4 at the age of 88

The Aga Khan IV was laid to rest on Sunday at a private ceremony in Aswan, Egypt. The death of Prince Karim – the 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims – was announced Tuesday by the Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili religious community.