An idyllic setting for reflection and learning

The 4.8-hectare Aga Khan Garden, Alberta — gifted by His Highness the Aga Khan as a symbol of the continued intellectual, educational and cultural collaboration between the University of Alberta and the Aga Khan Development Network — is an extraordinary contemporary interpretation of Islamic landscape architecture in a northern climate.

Designed by renowned landscape architectural firm Nelson Byrd Woltz and inspired by some of the world’s foremost Islamic architecture and landscapes, the Aga Khan Garden uses a delicate play of geometry, water, light and shadow to create a visually stunning experience.

The Aga Khan Garden features secluded forest paths, granite and limestone terraces, still pools that reflect the prairie sky and a waterfall that tumbles over textured stone. Fruit orchards extend around the large Calla Pond, and the garden contains more than 25,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and wetland plants, selected for fragrance, beauty and the ability to thrive in Alberta’s northern climate.

People of different backgrounds come together at the Aga Khan Garden to enjoy its beauty, serenity and programming. It will delight, surprise and inspire those who visit.

Alberta Lt.-Gov Lois Mitchell, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and His Highness the Aga Khan officially inaugurated the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta in the fall of 2018.