Prince Karim, 88, was given the title of “His Highness” by Queen Elizabeth in July 1957, two weeks after his grandfather, the Aga Khan III, unexpectedly made him heir to the family’s 1,300-year dynasty as leader of the Ismaili Muslim sect.

Last week, Prince Rahim al-Hussaini ’95 was named the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims after his father, the former leader, passed away on Feb. 4. Al-Hussaini is now Aga Khan V, a title given to the 50th imam of the Nizari Ismaili branch of Shia Islam.

Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili community, was buried on Sunday at a private ceremony in Aswan city of Egypt, according to a statement issued by

The accession ceremony of  Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan V as the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims was held on Tuesday, February 11, in Lisbon, Portugal. The private religious ceremony at the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat,

Prince Karim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the global Ismaili community, passed away on Tuesday, leaving his tens of millions of followers across the world in mourning, the Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat said in a statement in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, passed away peacefully at the age of 88, in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by his family.

Following Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly's official approval on Saturday, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini (Aga Khan IV), the 49th imam of the Ismaili Muslim community, was buried in the Aga Khan Mausoleum in Aswan on Sunday.