This is Karachi!

I refuse to stop 'reimagining' Karachi, and I refuse to stop trying to make others do the same. We are going through difficult times, agreed! But do we continue to live in oblivion because of that? Do we continue to sit in the comfort of our homes and not work for our city and our people? 

We are living in an age where we bear more responsibility than our ancestors. But are we fulfilling that responsibility? As citizens of this multicultural, cosmopolitan city, and as adults, it is our duty to pull ourselves together during catastrophic times, console and bring our people together, create awareness in our youth about what we own and strive to save our legacy and our heritage. 

Most of us never explore the architecturally and historically important, dense areas of the city's old neighbourhoods. We claim that it is not safe to go there. Pray may I ask, have we stopped going to one of the biggest malls in the city after a recent incident? We say that traffic congestion is a nightmare in these areas which keeps us from going there. May I remind my readers of the road under the Gizri Bridge which has poor traffic management and cars don't drive through but crawl at a snail's speed there. 

Karachi is not just a business hub and a port city; it is a delightful combination of countless different cultures and ethnicities. Along with that, it also boasts of innumerable architectural jewels scattered around the various historical quarters. It is a visual treat to visit most of these areas and in case one wants to avoid the traffic and congestion, then Sunday mornings are the perfect time to visit them. It gives you a chance to admire the intricacies of the craftsmanship that these old structures bear. 

Karachi is not hip restaurants and busy cafes only, it is quaint shops tightly packed together in busy bazaars also. It is not just a city of high-rise buildings, but also one with grand though derelict old mansions. This place is not all about cheese-dripping pizzas and pretentious portions of continental platters, but also early morning halwa puri, paye, nihari and bun kababs. Karachi is vibrant, vivacious, though quiet and sad at times. It is busy, dense, noisy, full of smoke that is emitted from the ever-increasing vehicles; but it is ours! Ours to build, ours to save, ours to care for and ours to be proud of! Let's not give up on it!

This is Karachi!

Bunder Road

Frere Hall

Mohatta Palace

Burns Road

Khori Garden

S.M. Government Science College, Burns Road

Burns Road

Empress Market

Max Denso Hall & Library

Merewether Tower, I I Chundrigar Road

The Captivating World of Botal Gali

Shelves upon shelves of old dusty bottles of every shape, size and colour; innumerable tiny glass forms heaped in sacks and crates outside the shops; coloured glass glistening in the sun, forming swirling rainbows all around - yes, that's Botal Gali. Mystical, magical; whispering untold stories to those who would listen.

My first visit to Botal Gali years ago was not what I had expected. It wasn't even intentional. It was one of my usual visits to Paper Market when I decided to explore the entwined lanes and ended up gasping at the sight of countless bottles and jars from places unknown. It was then that I discovered what was soon going to be one of my favourite haunts for many years to come.
The exploration unearthed a plethora of interesting shops, all laden with everything from apothecary bottles and jars to old empty medicine bottles, and from canisters to empty liquor bottles. The intriguing shapes and sizes stood out from the regular lot, the perfect prop for these. The old brick buildings which housed the shops on the ground floor and mostly residences on the upper floors just added to the old world charm. The more I visited Botal Gali, the more stories I weaved around it and the goods it carried, in my imagination. A multitude of dusty apothecary jars on the top shelves made me wonder what potions they once held, what journey they experienced till they ended up in these shops, what secrets they hold.
With time my visits became less frequent but the fascination with the magical gali remains. Now, as part of Reimagining Karachi, I urge all those who haven't been there yet, to take some time out of the busy hectic schedules and explore the dense area of Paper Market and Botal Gali and experience the world that most of us are unaware exists in this town.

A gem slightly off Botal Gali

The Magical City of Lights!

The long disappearing act on our part was for no other reason than the fact that our days were spent developing plans and strategies to take Reimagining Karachi forward as a one-of-a-kind heritage preservation initiative and our nights were spent dreaming of restoring Karachi's glorious historic architecture.
It's strange how a soft corner for this beautiful city is turning into a full-fledged movement to bring everyone together to change the perspective that people generally have of Karachi.
Friends, colleagues, supporters, well-wishers keep emailing me beautiful snapshots of Karachi on and off; saying it reminded them of me and the initiative that we have taken or that they knew it would bring a smile to my face; and it does.
Karachi mornings have a somewhat interesting effect on me. Quite early in the morning, it is a picture of serenity with the usual hustle and bustle missing on the just awakening roads. The atmosphere somewhat hazy, the trees swaying gently embracing the soft breeze, the busy workers at the 'dhabas' making aromatic parathas and steaming tea for those who prefer the desi breakfast, hoards of school children off to the beginning of another day; all moving to just one rhythm - that of the songs of the city of lights.
The city of lights! What all it brings with it! Sorrows and joys, tears and laughter, magical moments and tragic incidents; so many experiences, so much life, yet intertwined with death. What does one do to soften the image that this city has unfortunately developed? Here's a suggestion. We dream, we work towards turning that dream into a reality; we believe and have faith in ourselves, in our younger generations, in our resilience as a nation. We explore, we build, we work with full conviction and bring about a real change and encourage everyone to recognise and enjoy the true colours of Karachi. There is a lot of beauty hidden beneath decades old thick layers of smog and smoke. Unearth it and be prepared to be mesmerised by what this magical city has to offer. What good is this life if it is not spent doing our bit for our city, our country and our people?

The Best of Both Worlds

I envision a city with beautiful, valuable heritage that has been nurtured and restored. I wish for every single person living there, to have a sense of belonging to where they live. I dream of Karachi in its full glory one day; with a beautiful blend of modernism and old world charm; something that this amazing and captivating city can boast of. Karachi might not have a history as old as that of Lahore, Shikarpur or Thatta; but it has something which most cities in our country don't have..the best of both worlds. The main business hub with a port, yet dotted with architecturally rich historic neighbourhoods. A city that has so much to offer to both locals and tourists..the Old Town area, the bustling city life, the lovely little shops crammed with local goods and the fast-appearing malls with international food chains opening up rapidly. For a tourist, it has everything, from mystique to history, from comforts to a world worth exploring. Once you enter the intriguing world that this city has to offer, there is so much to discover and enjoy. One can simply start with Saddar area. Due to the presence of old buildings, it has its own identity and character. Saddar has its own distinctive environment as well as social and historical significance. The old Bohri Bazaar area, the Empress Market and Elphinstone Street amongst others mark the historical era of the city. Many of the old buildings here, though under-utilized, abandoned or dilapidated, still sing a beautiful melancholic song from the by-gone era. We just need to listen..we need to take care of these pieces of art..we need to preserve them, restore them, re-adapt them without destroying their true character. We need to condition our children to be proud of who we are and what we possess in terms of architecture, history, culture, heritage. We must join hands and work together and give this city what it truly deserves. So my friends, this one is to Karachi!

The Karachiite in Me

Karachi! My hometown... It's only when I'm away that I realize how much it means to me to be able to enjoy the sunny mornings and the pleasant evenings; something synonymous with the city of lights. For a city that has so much to offer to people from all walks of life, Karachi has not been given its due credit. From food to shopping, it has something to offer everyone. But that's not the real Karachi. The malls and the cinemas only represent a small section of the city. The real city lies within the centre, the heart. The gorgeous architecture, the cultural values, the hawkers selling interesting wares, the local food, the spice bazaar; the list is endless. There is something about the weather of Karachi as well. As much as we like to complain of the humidity and the dust, the pollution and the lack of greenery as compared to some of the other major cities of the country; the fact remains that one gets pleasantly used to the moderate weather of Karachi. If one is truly interested in exploring the city, it is always better to start from the architecturally and historically beautiful areas such as Saddar Quarter and Market Quarter. The Market Quarter comprising of the infamous Jodia Bazaar, Khori Garden and Marriott Road might not be very well maintained at the moment, and might be quite a difficult place to be due to badly managed traffic and congestion; yet once you are there, there is so much to see and enjoy. From interesting bargains to a vast variety of goods; it is an interesting place to shop and haggle if you are upto it. The historical Max Denso Hall also grabs attention once you are there; not to forget the treasure trove in the form of Kitaab Gali. Kitaab Gali is a book lover's dream come true. All it needs is careful rearranging of the shops, taking care not to dislocate the shopkeepers, some of whom have been working there all their lives. Spice Bazaar! The delicious, rich aromas emanating from all directions give u a bit of the local flavour. Then there is Elphinstone Street.. Now called the Zaibunnissa Street; it has clusters of old buildings, all part of our rich heritage. The Nusserwanjee Building, the Mohammad Ali Building, Old Ilaco House, Victoria Furnishing Mart; all have beautiful facades and are quite a treat for the eye. The need to preserve these heritage buildings is even stronger now; with our young generation so oblivious to the simple pleasures in life and old world charm. We must work together to instill a sense of pride and belonging in our children so that our future generations do not completely cut their ties with the past. The Karachiite in me is working towards it..Are you?

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... 

The Reality

Reimagining leads to rebuilding... Years later, his dream and her dream merged together and turned into a reality. They both got together with a promise to have more and more people join the brigade and help them preserve and restore whatever was left of the heritage.

What they had envisioned, has now started...

Reimagining Karachi is a process, a promise, a movement, a revolution...It is an endeavour to enable people to see beauty beyond the obvious. It is an effort to instill a sense of pride and belonging in the common man. It is an opportunity to understand our roots, our culture and past.

We are gifted with beautiful heritage, historically and architecturally. We need to understand that living in the world of restoration is both a major responsibility and a privilege. A privilege, because we own such architectural masterpieces and have such a rich culture and history; and responsibility, because it is up to us to preserve and restore these neglected, dilapidated and deteriorating buildings and historical sites. We are in the process of gathering all the data that is there on several sites that we have shortlisted. The shortlisting has been done with the help of architects, urban planners, heritage activists, department of architecture and planning from various engineering and art schools. We are trying to compile all of their work and take it further. We intend to initiate systematic, practical, timely yet aesthetically pleasing programmes to save our forgotten treasures. We are working on clusters of historically important buildings as we understand that it will have a larger impact on the environment and the social, economic and commercial activities.

We will take you on this journey with us as we go step-by-step towards a more beautiful Karachi. Join us, support us, guide us..Help us create a better world for our future generations. Merge your own dreams with our dreams and see what a world of a difference it makes when we march towards a common goal together!

Sadaf Mahmood

Faraz Khan