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King Juan Carlos of Spain, in July, presented Mawlana Hazar Imam with the Gold Medal for architecture at a ceremony at the Royal Palace, Madrid.
Mawlana Hazar Imam is the first recipient, outside Spain, to be given this honor by the Higher Council of Spanish architects, in recognition of his contribution to conservation and to the development of the profession.

King Juan Carlos, in his speech, paid handsome tribute to Mawlana Hazar Imam's role in the promotion of Islamic architecture. In response, Mawlana Hazar Imam spoke of Spain's contribution to Architecture and Art and said that the country would continue to be a major force in addressing the changing and complex issues of man's relationship to the physical environment in which he lives. Hazar Imam added, 'These relationships are fundamentally important, because they are central to any and all improvements in the quality of life of the people of this world.'

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, one of the largest architectural prizes in the world, established by Mawlana Hazar Imam in 1976 had its tenth international seminar in Granada, Spain, in April 1987. The seminar entitled 'Architectural Education in the Islamic World' and attended by leading specialists from the Islamic and non-Islamic world, was officially opened by His Majesty King Juan Carlos. It was held at the legendary Alhambra Palace--one of the great monuments of Islamic architecture in Western Europe.