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Tour Route 3
 This Tour Route
takes you through
three historic
Quarters of the
city: Civil Lines,
Rambagh and
Artillery Maidan.
Civil Lines
Quarter
In this most
prestigious Quarter
were located the
most important
symbols of the Raj.
Not only did the
Commissioner-in-Sinde
reside in the
impressive
Government House,
the Collector and
his Kutchery
(court), the
Garrison Church
(part of this Tour
Route), exclusive
British clubs and
the town hall were
also situated here.
This Quarter, which
is spread over 419
acres, and smaller
only than Karachi
Cantonment in size,
in 1889 was
inhabited by merely
400 persons—a
density of less than
1 person per
acre—astonishingly
low when compared
with the Old Town
Quarter populated by
natives at a density
of 252 persons per
acre. The old Polo
Ground, now known as
BaQh-e-Quaid-e-Azam,
is situated in this
Quarter and adjoins
Pearl Continental
Hotel on Dr.
Ziauddin Ahmad Road
(Kutchery Road).
Rambagh Quarter
The significance of
this Quarter lies in
the three water
tanks (talao) and
innumerable wells
that once occupied a
large area here, and
were the initial
water source
"affording a most
convenient supply of
water to the
Artillery and
others. The largest
of the tanks was 'Rambaugh
Tank' or Rambagh
Talao, which lent
the Quarter its
name.
Due to the proximity
of wells, a large
garden known as
Burnes Garden was
established here.
The garden was named
after James Burnes,
the doctor who had
treated Sindh ruler
Mir Murad Ali Khan
in 1828, and the
elder brother of
Alexander-Burnes,
who, under the
pretext of
transporting a gift
of five horses from
the British king
William IV to the
Punjab ruler Ranjit
Singh, managed to
survey the Indus in
1831. It was the
invaluable
information brought
by Burnes that
facilitated British
annexation of Sindh
in 1843. Originally
spread over an area
of 26.2 acres, it
had been laid out
with walks, shaded
by well-grown trees,
with flowers and
vegetables plots
between them.
The garden is well
worth a visit,
particularly as the
contemporary
building of National
Museum of Pakistan
is situated in the
midst of it.
Artillery Maidan
Quarter. During the
early 1890s, there
was no division or
road separating
Rambagh from
Artillery Maidan
Quarter. At the time
this Quarter
contained Horse
Keeper's Lines, gun
sheds, cells for
detention and a
small hospital,
while its remaining
part was just a
maidan or large
ground.
The Station Gun was
placed here, the
firing of which "at
midday" was believed
by many native
residents "to bring
the daily cooling
breezes from the
ocean." Also placed
here was the arsenal
which partially blew
up in October 1858,
"by the explosion of
a quantity of
fireworks which were
being prepared there
to celebrate the
transfer of India to
the British Crown."
During the 1920s,
this 200-acre
Quarter was selected
to "site the civic
centre" for Karachi,
when new roads were
planned and new
buildings designed.
The Judicial
Commissioner's Court
(now Sindh High
Court) formed the
central feature on
the axis of King's
Way (now
Shahrah-e-Kamal Ata
Turk). Later, a
building for Sindh
Assembly was
constructed in close
proximity of the
Judicial Court.
Tour Route 3 takes
you past some of the
most impressive
imperial buildings
that Karachi
possesses. These
imposing buildings
were designed by the
Consulting Architect
of Bombay
Presidency, or as in
the case of the
Governor House,
Consulting Architect
of Government of
India, and were
built to portray the
might and grandeur
of the Raj.
Civil Lines
Quarter
If you start your
tour from Karachi
Sheraton or Pearl
Continental Hotel,
Club Road—which at
one time was known
by the amusing name
of Scandal Point
Road—leads you to
Karachi Gymkhana
Club. Once
wonderfully
evocative of Tudor
mansions, the
building has been
over-restored and
Islamized, but its
grounds are still
spacious.
During the Colonial
period, where the
pucca sahibs retreat
was Sindh Club, the
'box-wallahs'—as
Europeans with
mercantile interests
were referred
to—were relegated to
the Gymkhana.
Commissioner's
Office (Collector's
Kutchery)
Opposite Karachi
Gymkhana Club is the
gate of the office
of Commissioner,
Karachi. This
building, which is
the earliest extant
administrative
structure in the
city, was built in
1855. This date can
be found with a
little effort if you
go round the
building to its
rear.
This modest
structure was
originally built as
the kutchery or
court of the
Collector, the most
important official
of Karachi District
at the time. Thus,
the Kutchery, with
its once sprawling
grounds, marked the
beginning of the
civil administration
of the city.
It is interesting to
note that, beginning
with simple
structures such as
Karachi's Kutchery,
over the passage of
time as the British
rule became more
powerful, buildings
also became more
elaborate to
represent the Raj's
imperial character.
The building is
presently used as
the office of
Commissioner,
Karachi, who enjoys
accommodation of
generous proportions
on the first floor.
This small
two-storey building
has undergone
considerable
alteration. But the
deep verandahs in
the front and rear
and some other
original features of
the building can
still be identified.
Since it is a public
building, although
you maybe questioned
at the gate, you
will be allowed to
enter its compound.
Going up the simple
staircase to the
first floor verandah
you will find that
the building still
retains the
old-world character
of the early Kumpany
Bahadur period.
Edward House
From Club Road, as
you turn left on
Abdullah Haroon Road
(Victoria Road),
opposite Hotel
Metropole, an
interesting mercan
tile structure,
Edward House is
situated, which was
built in 1910 by
Moses Somake.
The facade of this
building is unlike
Goa Portuguese Hall
that Somake had
designed just a half
a decade earlier. In
the case of Edward
House he created an
impressive
structure, not by
the use of a revival
style but through
its massing and
articulated facade.
The significance of
this structure lies
in Somake's effort
to create a
mercantile style
different from the
usual spate of
Italianate
structures popular
with the merchant
princes of Karachi
at the time. Edward
House demonstrates
Somake's skill at
designing
institutional and
commercial buildings
with equal ease.
Of hybrid character,
the building is
constructed using
rusticated masonry
and has bays defined
by balcony-like
projections flanked
by columns. The
emphasis is provided
by a tall central
tower which houses
the staircase
leading to the roof.
The first floor
provides
accommodation for
offices, with shops
on the ground floor.
Part of the ground
floor is occupied by
Cafe Grand, which
was owned by A.C.
Cumper during the
early decades of the
20th century and was
a "popular place for
refreshments of all
kinds."
Holy Trinity
Church
Past Hotel Metro
pole and across
Abdullah Haroon Road
(Victoria Road), on
the opposite side of
the road and next to
Services Mess
(originally known as
Union Jack Club),
the tall square
tower of the
Garrison Church,
Holy Trinity Church,
comes to attention.
As you enter the
spacious grounds,
the first major
church built by the
British in Karachi
presents itself.
When completed in
1855, it boasted the
tallest tower in the
city—150 feet
high—which allowed
its use as a light
tower for the
installation of
beacons.
Because of its
unusually tall
tower, the building
became a source of
much amusement for
contemporary
writers, such as
Richard Burton and
Alexander Baillie,
who mockingly
referred to it as a
'hammer handle
turned heavenwards'
and even a
'giraffe'!
Built of local, buff
color Gizri stone,
it employs a
delicately carved
Romanesque arch at
the entry, and
Venetian single and
double windows, with
little
ornamentation, on
the facade. The
church was
originally designed
in 'Italian Style',
by Captain John Hill
of the Bombay
Engineers; later,
changes were made by
John Brunton, Chief
Engineer of the
Scinde Railways.
In 1904, the top two
storey of the tower
were removed for
reasons of safety.
The reinforced
concrete barrel
vault, which
replaced the sloping
roof of the nave
during its
'restoration' in the
1970s, is somewhat
disconcerting when
you enter the
impressively
proportioned nave.
Inside you will find
many memorials to
those who served in
the service of the
British crown.
Sindh Governor's
House
This historic
mansion, although
well set back and
hidden by later
structures, at one
time was accessible
from Abdullah Haroon
Road (Victoria Road)
by a long driveway.
At the time the
entrance gate was
marked by the Napier
Monument (no longer
extant), located in
a large lot on the
left side of the
gate. Today the gate
is much smaller in
size and relegated
to a service
entrance, while the
main entrance of the
Governor's House has
been moved to
Aiwan-e-Sadr Road
(Havelock Road).
To get a glimpse of
this impressive
mansion from its
present main gate,
you will need to
turn left at the
corner of Abdullah
Haroon Road
(Victoria Road).
After Independence,
when Karachi was
declared capital of
Pakistan, the
Governor's House was
re-named
Governor-General
House and became
residence of the
founder of the
nation, Muhammad Ali
Jinnah. After the
capital was shifted
to Islamabad, the
house reverted to
being Sindh
Governor's House.
The present building
was built in place
of the modest
mansion that Charles
Napier had built and
which continued to
serve various
'Commissioners-in-Sinde'
until 1939.
After Sindh was
declared a separate
province, it was
considered "but
fitting that an
entirely new
departure in the
governing of the
Province should be
marked by the
construction of a
new Government
House." But,
Governor Lancelot
Graham hastened to
explain that the new
building was being
constructed not
because "the new
Governor-in-Sindh
considers that he or
his successors
should be housed in
a grandiose style,"
but because "the old
House [Napier's
Government House]
was in such state of
decay...... that the
building was no
longer a safe
habitation."
The present building
is designed by
Robert Tor Russell,
Consulting Architect
to the Government of
India, who also
designed the
well-known Connaught
Place and Flagstaff
House in New Delhi.
A 'mansion of
elegant and
dignified
simplicity' the
building is
constructed with
local dressed Gizri
stone masonry while
Dholpur stone,
brought from Brauli,
is used in the
plinth. The
impressive garden
was laid out by
Grindal, who was a
well known gardener
in New Delhi.
This grand mansion
is set amidst a
large estate and is
designed in a 'U'
plan form. The deep
verandahs, that
overlook the vast
lawns, provide
deeply shaded areas.
The massing and
treatment of the
facade is simple yet
dignified and the
handsome proportions
of the building
provide a suitably
impressive residence
for the head of the
Province.
Although entry is
restricted, from
time to time the
House is open for
public viewing. A
room on the ground
floor corner, that
was used by Governor
General Jinnah as
his office, has been
furnished with some
of the items he had
used, and is open to
the public on
certain occasions.
The Colonial
ambiance of the
entrance hall, its
impressive grand
wooden staircase and
the first floor
Durbar Hall make it
worth a visit.
Through the
restoration efforts
of Heritage
Foundation, the
paint on stone
masonry was removed
in early 1990s, when
wooden flooring of
Durbar Hall was also
exposed and polished
in an attempt to
re-establish the
original character
of the building. Two
plaques, designed
and fabricated
through the efforts
of the Foundation,
which are placed in
the porch, record
the stay of
Quaid-e-Azam Jinnah
in the House.
A delightful silver
chair in the Durbar
Hall carries the
following
inscription: "This
throne was made in
the year 1876 for
the use of His
Majesty King Edward
VII during His Visit
to India as Prince
of Wales. It was
also used by Her
Majesty Queen Mary
at the Coronation
Durbar at Delhi on
the 12th December,
1911 and on other
ceremonial occasions
during Their
Majesties' Tour in
India in 1911-12."
Due to its
ceremonial
character,
Governor-General
Jinnah used this
chair on state
occasions when
receiving foreign
envoys.
Rambagh Quarter
Sindh Wildlife
Building
(Freemason's Lodge)
From Aiwan-e-Sadr
Road (Havelock
Road), as you turn
on Strachan Road,
named after the
famous Municipality
engineer James
Strachan, designer
of several important
landmarks of
Karachi, on your
left stands a
handsome building
with an impressive
double height
portico. Labeled
Sindh Wildlife
Management Board, it
is the former
Freemason's Lodge
which was built in
1914. Although it
has been painted, it
is built of dressed
Gizri stone.
The circular columns
with Corinthian
capitals, carry a
mildly decorative
entablature and
parapet. This
building is the
forerunner of
buildings which
employed simple
entablature over
porticoes, as later
seen in State Bank
Annexes and Overseas
Chamber of Commerce
instead of the
hitherto used
triangular pediment.
The Freemason's
Lodge (Jadoo Char or
Sorcery House as it
was referred to by
the local
population) was
originally situated
in the compound of
the Sindh Club, at
the site where
Millionaire's
Quarters is located.
The Lodge moved to
the present site and
this building known
as the 'New Temple'
was built at a cost
of Rs. 60,000.
You will enjoy
entering its tall
portico to view its
magnificent
staircase and the
plaques lining the
walls of the stair
hall displaying
names of members and
their contributions
to the original
'Lodge Hope'. You
might also like to
visit the first
floor which is used
as a modest Natural
History Museum and
Library.
Hindu Gymkhana
As you turn on M.R.
Kiyani Road (Ingle
Road), opposite the
Arts Council, Hindu
Gymkhana with its
quaint cupolas and
jharokas comes into
prominence.
This is one of the
few Mughal-revival
buildings that
Karachi has to
offer, all designed
by the same
architect, Ahmed
Hussain Agha. The
others are Mohatta
Palace, Karachi
Chamber of Commerce
and Shri Marwadi
Vidyalaya School.
For Hindu Gymkhana,
Agha drew his
inspiration from the
famous
seventeenth-century
Mughal tomb of
Itamad-ud-Daulah at
Agra, built by his
daughter the empress
Nur Jahan. The
treatment of the
four octagonal
corner towers, the
disposition of
arched openings, the
chajjas supported by
ornamental brackets,
and the raised
central part in the
form of a jharoka
are all reminiscent
of the tomb of
Emperor Jahangir's
father-in-law.
The building is
small in size and
comprises a hall and
a few smaller rooms
for administrative
purposes. The
cupolas of the
chattris are of
reinforced concrete
while the walls of
the building are in
dressed Gizri stone.
Some of the carved
elements were picked
out in pink Jodhpur
stone.
The Hindu Gymkhana
lay vacant for many
years. It was slated
for demolition in
1984 but was saved
due to timely
intervention by
Heritage Foundation.
In 1994, due to the
lobbying by the
Foundation, Hindu
Gymkhana, which is
part of the
Foundation's
proposal to develop
Karachi's Cultural
Precinct in the
area, was acquired
by Sindh Government
and orders were
passed for its
restoration.
Although during
'restoration' the
building has been
made almost
completely new, the
original
architectural form
continues to
fascinate those who
visit it.
Since its
refurbishment the
building is being
used from time to
time for exhibitions
and lectures etc.
Supreme Court
Building (Victoria
Museum)
Going past the
contemporary
building of the Arts
Council, a venue of
various cultural
activities, on the
left is a large
compound of Muslim
Gymkhana, used for
recreational
activities. At the
corner of M.R.Kiyani
Road (Ingle Road)
and opposite a
multi-storey
contemporary office
building, Shaheen
Complex, stands one
of the most striking
buildings of
Karachi. It is
presently occupied
by Supreme Court of
Pakistan.
The building was
originally built as
Victoria Museum to
house the collection
of artifacts begun
by Charles Napier.
The artifacts had
been first stored in
the Ladies Club
(later named Karachi
Gymkhana Club) and
formed the nucleus
of a museum in Frere
Hall, shifted to the
first floor of D.J.
Sindh College in
1892, and finally
housed in the new
home of Victoria
Museum at the
beginning of 20th
century.
It appears that the
original building,
the foundation stone
of which was laid by
the Duke of Con
naught as far back
as 1887, was
designed by James
Strachan; however,
the construction of
the building was not
undertaken until
much later.
There are no records
of the original
design, but the
simple entablature,
modest fenestration
detailing and the
crowning cupola of
the completed
building,
reminiscent of
Karachi Port Trust
Head Office point
towards George
Wittet as the
architect in his
capacity as
Consulting Architect
of Bombay
Presidency.
After Independence,
the Museum
Collection was moved
to the Frere Hall,
and the building
itself was taken
over by the State
Bank of Pakistan,
where, in 1948,
Governor General
Jinnah presided over
the last official
function of his
life. During the
1980s the building
was converted into
offices for the
Karachi Water and
Sewerage Board.
In 1994, Sindh
Government agreed to
have it vacated in
order to convert it
into a museum as
part of the Heritage
Foundation's
proposal to develop
the area as
Karachi's Cultural
Precinct. However,
soon after, the
building was given
over to the Supreme
Court for use as its
camp office in
Karachi.
It is hoped that at
some future date the
building will revert
to its original use
for which it was
initially designed.
As is usual with
Colonial buildings
of the period, the
interior has lofty
proportions and the
entrance hall is
particularly
interesting.
The mosque in the
compound is a recent
addition and was
built in 1980s.
D.J. (Deyaram
Jethmal) Sindh Govt.
Science College
Past Shara-e-Kamal
Ataturk (King's
Way), on Dr.
Ziauddin Road (Kutchery
Road) is located an
imposing structure,
considered James
Strachan's greatest
architectural
triumph. Strachan
had designed Sindh
Madrassah buildings,
as his last
Indo-Gothic building
in 1887. D.J.
College which he
also designed in
1887, signified a
transformation in
his outlook. This
College building
once again
demonstrates the
ease with which
Strachan could
switch his design
philosophy and
clothe buildings in
any style with equal
skill.
The College was
established by a
group of Hindu
natives who were
keen to establish an
arts college. Their
preference for the
neo Classical style
is not surprising:
at the time many
other native
patrons, princes of
states and affluent
philanthropists
considered
Renaissance or
Palladian
architectural
expression as the
most befitting,
which conveyed their
enlightened
disposition and
understanding of
Western
civilization.
The architectural
expression devised
by Strachan for the
College consists of
graceful domes and
arcaded facades, and
was termed the
'Italian
architectural
style'. When
completed in 1893,
in the view of many
contemporaries there
was no structure in
Karachi more
imposing than the
College building.
The main facade of
the building, 431
feet in length, is
dominated by a
projecting portico
and a cupola capped
tower rising above
the main two storey
structure. Square
bell towers, three
storey high, provide
accent to the
corners of the long
facade. The portico
employs the Ionic
order and is
surmounted by a
pediment the
tympanum of which
once carried a clock
in its centre. The
pillars of the tall
portico are 29 feet
high, while the
central tower behind
it rises to a height
of 121 feet,
carrying a dome 30
feet in diameter.
For the flooring,
mosaic tiles were
imported from
Belgium and the
ornamental cast-iron
handrail of the
imposing staircase
from the celebrated
foundry of
MacFarlane & Company
of Glasgow.
Mitharam Hostel
On the opposite side
of Dr. Ziauddin
Ahmad Road (Kutchery
Road), across D.J.
College, is a fine
structure, in a
neglected condition.
This is the original
hostel building
constructed for the
students of D.J.
College, the
construction of
which was taken up
within a year of the
completion of the
College itself. But
as in the case of
the College
building, the hostel
also took some time
to complete and was
made available as
residence for
out-of-town students
in 1901.
It is not known
whether Strachan,
the architect of the
College, had a hand
in the design of
this building. The
main architectural
feature of the
verandah is its
arcading, often
incorporated in
buildings at the
time; however, an
unusual feature are
gable frontages,
possibly due to the
influence of the
recently completed
Viceregal Lodge at
Simla, considered to
be a "free
interpretation of
the Elizabethan or
English
Renaissance."
Artillery Maidan
Quarter
Sindh High Court
Building (Judicial
Commissioner's
Court)
Turning right from
Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad
Road (Kutchery
Road), going past
Burnes Garden and
National Museum of
Pakistan is an
enclave dedicated to
the contemporary
building of Sindh
Secretariat. At the
axis of this road (Shara-e-Kamal
Ataturk), at one
time grandiloquently
named King's Way due
to its importance,
is one of the most
magnificent
structures in
Karachi, the Sindh
High Court building,
originally built as
Judicial
Commissioner's
Court.
The pink hue of the
Jodhpur stone, the
enormous grand steps
leading up to an
imposing Ionic
temple portico with
tall circular
columns and
pediment, lend the
building an air of
grandeur and
exclusivity that the
architects intended
it to have. You will
find an interesting
combination of
intricate carving in
the Ionic capitals
of its double
columns and simply
treated window
openings.
The construction of
the Judicial
Commissioner's Court
was begun in 1923 in
deference to the
clamor for the
separation of Sindh
from Bombay
Presidency which
would permit Karachi
to gain due
prominence. It was
the first building
of importance to be
built in the
200-acre Artillery
Maidan Quarter,
which had earlier
contained the main
arsenal, but was now
billed to be the
future Civic Centre
of Karachi.
As was the case with
other Imperial
architecture, the
design of the
Judicial Court was
prepared in the
office of the
Consulting Architect
to the Government,
in this case Bombay
Presidency. George
Wittet, the
architect of Karachi
Port Trust Head
Office, also lead
the team of
architects for the
design of this
impressive building.
The building was
completed at a cost
of Rs. 3,055,000 and
declared open on
November 22,1929, by
Frederick Hugh
Sykes, Governor of
Bombay.
Sindh Assembly
Building
Another landmark
historic building in
the vicinity is the
Sindh Assembly. This
historic structure
is important for
many reasons, not
least as the
Assembly Chamber
where the historic
event of the oath
taking ceremony of
Quaid-e-Azam
Mohammad Ali Jinnah
as the first
Governor-General of
Pakistan (1947) took
place. The building
served as Pakistan's
Legislative Assembly
until 1955.
This imposing
building also
represents the
mutation of the
policies of the
British government
towards Sindh in the
twentieth century.
After Sindh was
freed from the
hegemony of Bombay
Presidency and
declared a separate
province, this was
one of the two
imperial buildings
commissioned for
Sindh, the first one
being Government
House.
Architecturally, it
heralded a break
from the various
styles of
architecture that
had been prevalent
in the subcontinent.
It opted for a
dignified and simple
facade, reflecting
the influence of the
Modem Movement that
had swept through
Europe and the
United States.
Even though the
building has an
austere character,
the generous
interiors spaces and
lofty ceilings
represent the
grandeur of the
British Raj. As you
enter the main
entrance hall with
its magnificent
staircase you will
find the plaques
recording the
foundation stone
laying in March 1940
by Governor Lancelot
Graham and the
opening by Governor
Hugh Dow, almost two
years later.
After its separation
from the Bombay
Presidency in April
1936, Sindh was
administered through
an Advisory Council
until April 1937, at
which time a
legislative body was
formed which allowed
Sindh to function as
a full-fledged
autonomous province.
In the absence of an
Assembly building,
Sindh legislators
were forced to rely
on makeshift
assembly
arrangements, until
the Speaker, Diwan
Bhojsing initiated
the proposal for a
new Assembly
Building.
Originally, the
building was to be
sited between
Shahrah-e-Liaquat (Frere
Road) and the
Judicial Court, but
since the area was
thought to be rather
congested, the
present site, south
of Judicial Court,
was selected.
Initially two
separate buildings,
one for the Assembly
Hall and another for
Secretariat were
designed. Later,
however, the
architects, Anderson
and Assarpota, who
had earlier designed
the Mama Parsi
School, were asked
to combine both in a
single building.
The two storey tall
building is built in
dressed Gizri stone.
Where the facade
with deep inset
verandahs is treated
in a stringent
manner, a cupola is
used to emphasize
the Assembly
Chamber. Constructed
at a cost of Rs.
1,000,000, at the
time the building
provided
accommodation for
"82 Honorable
members, 213
visitors and 44
press
representatives."
You can get
permission to enter
when the House is
not in session. The
lofty entrance hall
and grand staircase,
generous verandah
walkways and the
interior of the
Chamber, with its
remarkably executed
woodwork, of
Karachi's last
imperial building
are worth
experiencing.
Tour Route 1
Tour Route 2
Tour Route 3
Tour Route 4
Tour Route 5
Tour Route 6
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