Khara Darwaza Mitha Darwaza

The best thing about living in Karachi is experiencing the lively feel of the city. Some might argue that it is not the same anymore and things have changed over the past few years, affecting the influx of tourists that one used to witness till about a decade back; especially in the dense but interesting areas of Bohri Bazaar and Zainab Market. The appeal of these old areas of the city to the 'goras' was quite understandable. Old historic neighbourhoods with quaint little shops brimming with artifacts, local crafts, textiles to name a few; not to forget their architectural and historical significance. The past few years sadly witnessed the increase in terrorist attacks and crime-rate, and directly affected tourism besides other things. However, the locals still enjoy all that comes with the metropolitan city.

Karachi... a city that arose from the status of a small fishing village of 20-25 huts to the commercial hub it is today. While some of the older cities of the Indo-Pak sub-continent can boast of a much richer history, the history of Karachi as a city dates back only to the last two centuries. Despite that, it is dotted with reminders of historical and architectural value from the bygone era. Just the fact that it was once a walled city with two doors, adds to its mystique. The door leading to the brackish waters of the sea was known as 'Khara Darwaza', and the one leading to the sweet waters of Lyari river was known as 'Mitha Darwaza'.  Although not much is left of the wall and the city has spread much beyond it, the areas known as Kharadar and Mithadar are still here to remind us of what they started as.

A tour around town delights one with heritage properties of all sorts; residential, commercial, cultural; oozing old world charm. Some of them have been restored and re-adapted while most are facing neglect and effects of pollution, leaving them dilapidated and heading towards an unfortunate fate. The city might be alive till the wee hours but the once beautiful reminders of the Indo-Gothic, Indo-Saracenic and Imperial-Vernacular styles of architecture are heading towards a slow death. The question is, what are we doing to save them? Are we willing to break all ties with the past? Are we unable to appreciate the treasures that have been bestowed upon us? Do we not care about our history, our heritage, our identity? The answer lies deep within our hearts...