Quaid-e-Azam`s Mausoleum
Quaid-e-Azam`s Mausoleum is a prominent and impressive landmark of Karachi. Graves of the “Quaid-e-Millat”. Liaqat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Quaid`s sister, Mohatarma Fatima Jinnah are located within the building.
Designed by Architect Yahya Merchant, this white marble Mausoleum with its curved arches and copper grills was completed in 1970. Its cool interior reflects the green of a four-tiered crystal chandelier gifted by the peoples Republic of China.
Frere Hall Bagh-e-Jinnah
In the days of the British Raj, Frere hall served as a Town Hall and was the hub of Karachi’s socio cultural activities. This handsome Venetian Gothic building was built to commemorate the Commissioner-ship of Sir Bartley Frere and his elevation to the Viceroy's Council in 1859. Construction of the building was commenced in August 1863 and was completed in 1865.
The ground floor houses a fine public library of over seventy thousand books, including rare and hand written manuscripts, newspapers, dictionaries, atlases and technical books. The upper floor serves as an art gallery containing masterpieces of Pakistan’s famous calligrapher and painter Sadequain.
Empress Market
Built by the British in the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign, this historic market is designed in the domestic Gothic style. From its center rises a 140 feet clock tower that stands out from a distance. The design utilizes delicately carved column capitals, as well as carved stone brackets, which support the balcony projections. The top four corners of the tower flaunt exquisite leopard heads, which are a testimony to the skill of the local craftsmen. Located in the midst of Karachi’s commercial center, Empress market hosts a variety of extremely interesting and colorful shops.
Masjid-e-Tooba
Said to be the largest single dome mosque, this mosque has a capacity to accommodate a congregation of 5.000 persons. Located in Defense Housing Authority area, this architectural marvel is one of its kind.
Mereweather Tower
Intricately carved, the Merewether Tower is an elegant and tall structure designed in the medieval England style of architecture. Named after General Sir William L. Merewether who served as 'Commissioner-in-Sindh' from 1868 to 1877, the tower stands on a platform 44 feet square and rises to a height of 102 feet. Merewether Time Tower was designed by James Stratchen, a prolific architect who has great building like Denso Hall, Jehangir Kothari Building and Empress Market to his credit.
Beaches
Karachi’s golden sandy beaches stretch for miles. The most accessible is Clifton beach where hundreds of Karachites flock on a daily basis to enjoy the cool waves and lovely breeze. Sand spit, Hawkes Bay, Paradise Point and French Beach are located within a radius of 10 to 20 kms from the city and are more popular picnic spots.
Mohatta Palace
Built by Ahmed Hussein Agha in 1920’s, Mohatta Palace was designed to be a summer palace for a illustrious businessman Shivratan Mohatta. The palace has an area of 18,500 sq. feet and is built with carved Jodhpur stone in combination with fine yellow local stone from Gizri. The building was locked up and left to decay for many years. However, in 1999, the building was restored and now serves as a museum and attracts visitors and connoisseurs from far and wide
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