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Tour Route 6
 This Rahguzar
includes historic
buildings in Bunder
Quarter, Karachi
Port Trust (K.P.T.)
Area and the Island
of Manora.
Bunder Quarter. It
is located in the
south of the 'Old
Town' Quarter and
shares the Adamjee
Daudpota Road
(Rampart Road) as a
common boundary. As
the earlier name
signifies, this road
replaced the
ramparts or the
fortification walls
which encircled the
original native
town. Less congested
than the original
'Old Town', Bunder
Quarter had opened
its arms to the
rising native
merchant class. It
was here that
Jinnahbhai Poonja,
father of
Quaid-e-Azam Jinnah,
and many other new
arrivals like him,
found refuge when
they flocked to
Karachi during the
1870s. Bunder
Quarter's close
proximity to the
'Old Town', with
easy access to
shipping and port
facilities to the
west, were other
advantages; and at a
stone's throw lay
the commercially
prestigious Serai
Quarter with its
many bank offices,
and buildings of
merchant princes.
Karachi Port Trust
Area. Karachi Port
Trust (K.P.T.) was
at one time
controlled by
Karachi Harbor
Board, which had
been established in
1879, but as the
port rose to further
prominence with its
export of cotton and
wheat, and began to
be used for docking
troop ships as well,
the Commissioner-in-Sinde
was asked to prepare
a scheme for the
creation of a Port
Trust in place of
the Harbor Board.
The Port Trust bill
was enacted in 1887
and its first
full-time chairman
appointed in 1909.
Thus from the G.H.
Quarter to Keamari
and East and West
Wharves, and area
known as Queen's
Road continues to be
under the
jurisdiction of the
Port Trust.
Manora Island
The island is
approachable both by
road and sea, and is
under the dual
control of Karachi
Port Trust and
Pakistan Navy. The
best way to get to
Manora is to take a
boat from Keamari
Boat Basin. Although
the traces of the
original fort, that
existed there at the
time of British
invasion, have been
obliterated, its
importance as the
bastion of defence
for Karachi that it
once was, cannot be
under-stated. The
portion of the
island controlled by
Pakistan Navy has
restricted entry.
However, Karachi
Port Trust areas are
easily accessible
and the historic
buildings located
there are worth
taking the trip.
Rahguzar 6 will
provide you with
different flavours
of the city, from
the congested,
winding streets of
the original native
areas of Fakhr Matri
Road (Newnham Road)
and Dr. Ahmad Lane,
past the grandeur of
Karachi Port Trust
head office and over
the newly
constructed elevated
roadway. You will
get to see the
hustle and bustle of
the port, and across
the waters the quiet
exclusivity of the
historic island of
Manora.
Bunder Quarter
Wazir Mansion
On Fakhr Matri Road
(Newnham Road),
which was the scene
of camel laden goods
during the
nineteenth century,
Wazir Mansion is
situated. It is on
the periphery of the
original 'Old Town'
and the winding
streets make it
difficult to locate
this historic
building. This is
where the founder of
the nation, Muhammad
Ali Jinnah was born
and where his family
resided during the
late nineteenth
century. Although
the main structure
is old the facade
was modified at a
later date. It is
now used as a museum
for housing the
relics of Muhammad
Ali Jinnah.
Shri Marwadi
Vidyalaya School
Turning left from
Fakhr Matri Road (Newnham
Road) on Dr. Ahmad
Lane, a pleasing,
quaint building
attracts your
attention. It is a
school known as Shri
Marwadi Vidyalaya.
The facade massing
as well as
employment of Mughal
imagery such
dsjharokas, chattris,
cupolas, is carried
out in the same
manner as Karachi
Chamber of Commerce
building. The
exuberance of the
facade, the
treatment of
openings and the
central jharoka
flanked by chattris
all point towards
that master of
Mughal-revival,
Ahmed Husain Agha.
Karachi Port
Trust Area
K.P.T. Head
Office & Imperial
Custom House
As you reach the end
of M.A. Jinnah Road
(formerly Bunder
Road), just before
the new bridge, on
your right you will
encounter a massive
and imposing
three-storey curved
facade of one of the
most important
institutions of
Karachi. Karachi
Port Trust (K.P.T.)
is responsible for
the phenomenal
development of the
port due to which
Karachi achieved
such prominence at
the turn of the
century. It is the
institution with
which, from the
earliest Colonial
period, the city's
fortunes have been
interlinked.
The K.P.T. Head
Office was designed
by George Wittet in
his capacity as
Consulting Architect
of Bombay
Presidency. At the
time of its
construction it was
considered one of
the two most
important buildings
built in the
subcontinent in that
year, the other
being Science
College in Bombay.
The comparatively
stringent treatment
of the facade is
unlike the exuberant
Anglo-Mughal that
Wittet had adopted
for the Prince of
Wales Museum (1908)
or the Gateway of
India (1911) in
Bombay. Karachi Port
Trust building is
more austere in
character than the
above two; however,
as in the case of
Prince of Wales
Museum, a cupola
emphasizes the
central entrance of
the Port Trust
Offices.
It is designed in a
'general Renaissance
style'. Features
from Georgian
architecture are
employed in the
treatment of the
ground floor, and
columns with Ionic
capitals are placed
at the entrance. A
rusticated arcaded
ground floor forms
the ground floor,
while repetitive
window bays are
placed on the upper
two floors, using
minimum of
ornamentation. In
spite of the hectic
war years. Port
Trust building was
declared open on
Januarys, 1916, by
the Marquess of
Willingdon, Governor
of Bombay, who later
became viceroy,
Those familiar with
the history of the
Independent Movement
will know that it is
the same Willingdon
whose wife's
disapproving comment
regarding the dress
of young Ruttie
Jinnah (wife of
Jinnah) caused
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
to walk out of the
Government House and
never set foot in it
again as long as
Willingdon was
Governor.
A plaque in the
building informs you
that during the war
it was utilized as
No. 1 India General
Hospital with 500
beds from February
1916 to May 1919.
You might find it
interesting to
wander inside the
gateway which
provides access to
the rear of
building. The rear
space, although
congested with many
later structures,
allows you to view
the attractive rear
facade. The most
enjoyable part of
the tour of the
building is the old
Board Room and
Chairman's Office,
where various relics
of the Port Trust
are displayed,
including a well
crafted impressive
boardroom table, a
replica, it is said,
of the table used in
the British Prime
Minister's office in
London.
In 1916, Rosamond
Napier Lawrence,
grand niece of
'Conqueror of Sind'
Charles Napier, on
her arrival at
Karachi,
sentimentally noted
the 'towering
blocks' of the
recently completed
Port Trust Offices,
"luminous in the
evening sunshine."
Today too it is as
impressive as it
would have appeared
to her 80 years ago.
The Imperial Custom
House was begun
almost immediately
after the work of
construction of the
Port Trust building
was taken in hand
and completed in
1917. The Custom
House is built in
continuation of the
Port Trust building
and carries the same
design of
fenestration on its
facade.
Mules Mansion
Karachi Port Trust
area comprises
several historic
buildings. To view
them you will need
to go in the
direction of Keamari.
For the sake of
convenience it may
be best to combine
sightseeing with a
trip to Manora and
other islands. Going
over the elevated
roadway on the way
to Keamari on M.A.
Jinnah Road (Bunder
Road), on the left
you will be able to
view the
contemporary office
towers of National
Shipping Corporation
and National
Insurance
Corporation. Nearer
Keamari Boat House,
on the left, you
will find a large
imposing building
built of rugged
stone masonry. The
fine structure,
built in 1917, is
known as Mules
Mansion (not shown
in Rahguzar map)
after the first
full-time chairman
of Karachi Port
Trust. Attributed to
Moses Somake, the
building is more
ornate and vigorous
in character than
Somake's earlier
buildings. In
addition to its
architectural
excellence, the
significance of
Mules Mansion also
lies in it being the
first Naval
Headquarters of
Pakistan.
Manora Island
Manora Buildings
As you arrive at
Keamari, you can
hire a boat from the
historic boat shed
to Manora Point.
At Manora (not shown
in Rahguzar map),
the most prominent
historic structure
is the Lighthouse
Tower. Constructed
with stone masonry,
the tower, which has
an internal
staircase leading to
the platform located
at almost 90 feet
above the ground, is
among the most
important landmarks
of Karachi. Another
structure of
importance is St.
Paul's Church.
Although simple in
form, the interior
of this small
church, with its
superb wooden
trusses, is
extraordinary. Other
structures of
interest include an
Observatory, a Watch
Tower and a Club
building.
Tour Route 1
Tour Route 2
Tour Route 3
Tour Route 4
Tour Route 5
Tour Route 6
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