A Shashmaqom Day has been celebrated in Tajikistan on 12 May. This musical genre is over a thousand years old and over this time it has developed into a tradition. Established with support from the Aga Khan Music Initiative, the Academy of Maqom takes its name from the tradition of classical or court music that spans the core Muslim world from Casablanca, Morocco, to Kashgar in western China. Six maqoms or suites constitute the systematically organised repertory of Central Asian classical music known as Shashmaqom (six maqoms). In the Shashmaqom, instrumental pieces, lyrical song, contemplative poetry, and dance are all bound together in a vast yet integrated artistic conception of great refinement and profound beauty.