The mandate of the Aga Khan Museum is to educate and inspire. Its programs have been developed to meet these aims. Visitors will gain access to art and performances that illustrate the true artistic diversity of Islamic civilizations, from the Arab Near East and its highly individualized offshoots in North Africa, to the Iranian world that stretched from modern Iran through Afghanistan and Central Asia, to the Hindustani courts of India and Pakistan, to the Muslim communities of China. It is art that is immersed in storytelling, the epic tales of kings and heroes, and court life, that celebrates the perfection of traditional art forms, whether in objects made by master artists or in performances by virtuosos, and that continues to the present day.

Through art, the Aga Khan Museum aims to connect cultures.