Mohammed Shah Ahga Khan was many things during his lifetime. Bestowed the title of the 48th Imam, handed down from his father, he also led the Ismailis sect of India and even presided over the League of Nations for a short period. And despite being laid to rest on Egyptian soil, Mohammed Shah himself was not Egyptian by birth. A rather miraculous recovery from partial paralysis in Aswan was sufficient to convince him that he be buried in that very city upon death.

That was the duty that fell over his devoted wife, who painstakingly oversaw the construction of the mausoleum after his death in 1957. 16 years and tons of pink granite and calcareous sandstone were spent in the process. The result can be seen till today, visible even from the slowly winding waters of the Nile. The simple square building has four turrets at each corner topped with a dome. A bigger dome rests atop the roof of the mausoleum, marking it for miles around. Simplicity defines the structure, especially against the dusk sky where the pink of the mausoleum’s granite walls appears to seep into the skies beyond and reflected in the waters of the Nile. The construction was led by his wife from start till end and continues to be a reminder of the timelessness of their love.