Karachi

before 1900
Pictures

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 Napier Mole Bridge to Keamari [Karachi].  1900

Photograph taken by an unknown photographer in Karachi, c.1900, with a general view

along the iron Napier Mole bridge connecting Karachi with Kiamari, www.apnilife.com
 The Empress Market [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
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 provided accommodation for 280 shops and stall keepers; at the time of its
construction it was one of seven markets in Karachi. www.apnilife.com
 Sind Arts College [Karachi].

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 interior of the college; 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 centre of  the
country. It was a strategically located small port at a protected natural harbour 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 the Punjab and the wheat and cotton regions of the sub-continent www.apnilife.com
 Karachi city street view.

Photograph of a busy street scene in Karachi, taken by an unknown photographer

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 Trans-Lyari Market [Karachi].

At the end of the nineteenth century the Trans-Lyari Quarter of the city was made up of a cluster of poor settlements mostly
consisting of reed and mud plastered huts with some more permanent dwellings. At this time one-quarter of the population of
Karachi lived in this area across the Lyari River.
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 Karachi Gymkhana.

The British had also developed the concept of gymkhanas or sports-houses which provided facilities for  all sorts of sports and
games for the colonial population in the sub-continent. The Karachi Gymkhana Club, located on Scandal Point (later Club) Road,
was a large Tudor-style building, constructed in 1886.
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 Bird's eye view Victoria Road [Karachi].

Photograph with a view of Karachi looking in a northerly direction along Victoria Road, with St Andrew's Church visible in the
distance, taken by an unknown photographer, c.1900 www.apnilife.com
 Bird's eye view Suddar Bazaar [Karachi].

The Saddar Bazaar at Karachi followed a typical gridiron plan; all the major north-south streets of the Bazaar were laid out at right
angles to Bunder Road, Frere, Somerset and Elphinstone Streets which along with Victoria Road, linked the northern part of the
cantonment to the southern part. The area soon developed into the most fashionable part of the city, supplying the needs of both  its
civilian and military parts www.apnilife.com
 Bird's eye view, Clifton Road [Karachi].

Photograph with a view looking along Clifton Road in Karachi, www.apnilife.com

Clerk Street, Suddar Bazaar [Karachi].

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 Frere Street, Suddar Bazaar [Karachi].

Photograph with a view looking northwards along Frere Street in Karachi, with the tower of the Empress Market partially visible in
the right background www.apnilife.com
 Part of the town of Karachi (Sind),
with mud houses; camels and villagers in foreground.    April 1851

Water-colour of Karachi (Sind) by Henry Francis Ainslie (c.1805-1879), April 1851. Inscribed on the front of the mount in red ink is:
'Sindh, part of the native town of Kurrachee,  1851.'Originally Karachi was a small village made up of a cluster of fishermen’s huts on
the three islands of Manora, Bhit and Baba. Due to it's location at the western end of the Indus delta the town has traditionally
served as an important gateway for trade into central Asia. With the development of its harbour it gradually grew into a large city and
an important centre of trade and industry www.apnilife.com
 www.apnilife.com
AND NOW IN 2007

Viewing towards southeast Karachi, the first building on righthand corner is IBM tower then Sea Breeze Apartments.