Friday, November 16, 2007

Karachi 1

Napier Mole bridge


Photograph was taken by an unknown photographer in Karachi, c.1900, with a general view along the iron Napier Mole bridge connecting Karachi with Kiamari


Empress Market in Karachi

Photograph of Empress Market in Karachi, taken by an unknown photographer, c.1900. The Empress Market was constructed between 1884 and 1889 and was named to commemorate Queen Victoria, Empress of India. It was designed by James Strachan, the foundations were completed by the English firm of A.J. Attfield, and the building was constructed by the local firm of 'Mahoomed Niwan and Dulloo Khejoo.' The building was arranged around a courtyard, 130 ft by 100 ft, with four galleries, each 46 ft wide. The galleries accommodated 280 shops and stall keepers; at its construction, it was one of seven markets in Karachi.

D.J. Sind Arts College

Photograph of the D.J. Sind Arts College (now known as the D. J. Government Science College) of Karachi, taken by an unknown photographer, c.1900, from an album of 46 prints titled 'Karachi Views'. Designed by James Strachan and considered this architect's greatest achievement, the college was built between 1887 and 1893. Named after the Sindhi philanthropist Dayaram Jethmal, whose two family members contributed towards its cost, the building was constructed in the neoclassical, or ‘Italian architectural style’. A considerable amount of money was spent on the college's interior; the floors comprised mosaic tiles imported from Belgium, and the eight-foot-wide main staircase was fitted with ornamental cast-iron work from McFarlane & Company of Glasgow. Karachi, once the capital of Pakistan, is now the capital of Sindh province and the major port and main commercial center of the country. It was a strategically located small port at a protected natural harbor on the Arabian Sea north-west of the mouth of the Indus and was developed and expanded by the British when they took over Sindh in the mid-19th century to serve the booming trade from Punjab and the wheat and cotton regions of the sub-continent.

Street scene in Karachi

Photograph of a busy street scene in Karachi (year unknown - probably 1900)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

lovely :D though i'm not a karachite history from any angle looks beautiful.

What do you think those two men sitting on the lawn of the gymkhana are doing?

The evolution of light sources has amazed me. They're ingrained with culture and beauty and efficiency. Chinese lanterns desi diye european lamp posts..aur woh har raat ko ata hoa kaam wala jo unko jalata aur subha ko akar bhujata :)

Anonymous said...

Even today when you visit Old Karachi and official British locations, these people are employed as generation to pick "pat-jhar-ke patte" and to keep lawn clean manuaaly.

On 'evolution of light sources'..achha likha...... Chinese lanterns desi diye european lamp posts..aur woh har raat ko ata hoa kaam wala jo unko jalata aur subha ko akar bhujata :)