What to See
The sea is the most exciting and romantic part of Karachi. You can sail
out into the Keamari harbor in the old local fishing boats to catch and
eat crabs in the moonlight.
Clifton
This is the closest sea view from the city though you can't swim or bathe
here. Its main viewpoint looks over the whole of the city. The fine Mohatta
Palace is a Moghul and Gothic style building of red sandstone with domes
and cupolas in the foreground.
Overlooking the sea front is the Jehangir Kothari Parade, a beautiful
British promenade. Lloyds Pier, is a series of steps leading down to the
beach. This is lined with stalls selling shell jewelry, brass-onyx artifacts
at very reasonable prices. A marine drive has been constructed along the
Clifton beach. The Boat Basin, recently developed, is thronged with
eating places of every kind ranging from fast food joints to the local
variety of Barbecued chicken tikkas. is the favorite haunt of late night
diners.
Close by lie the Aquarium and Amusement Park with roller coaster, ferries
wheel. bumper car and merry-grounds.
The Aquarium at Clifton has a fascinating collection of fish.
The Shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi is positioned
at the top of a hill, which also has a fresh water spring Devotees come
here day and night. Special qawalis (devotional songs are sung every Thursday
night there are no restrictions for foreigners if they are properly dressed.
Jabees Playland, Funland and Bowling Alley
The entertainment complex built at New Clifton close to the beach provides
healthy and vigorous amusement for visitors.
Playland is an air-conditioned hall for the young. housing various
games. gadgets and machines. There is a self-service restaurant, which
provides snacks. cold and hot drinks.
Funland is further down. closer to the beach. and has developed
on the lines of International Amusement Parks It is equipped with a variety
of sophisticated rides. such as Dodgem cars. Minitrain. Boats. Star jet.
Telecombat. Apollo. Antique cars etc.
The Bowling Alley provides a six lane Brunswick Bowling Alley.
Beaches
Karachi s sunny unpolluted and uncrowded beaches stretch for miles. The
more easily accessible of these are Hawkes Bay. Sandspit and Paradise Point.
But for reasons of safety. care must be taken to swim only in the prescribed
areas. Gaily decorated camels are available on these beaches for hire an
interesting and rare sights to watch are the giant green and olive turtles
Pakistan's Wild Life Management Board has taken over their protection
and is conducting a study of their habits etc.
Giant Turtles of Karachi
Two species of marine's turtle's nest on Karachi coast at Hawkes Bay and
Sandspit. the Green Turtle and Olive Ridley Turtle.
The adult green turtle is about 90-110 centimeter long and weight upto
280-300 Ibp. It is the only vegetarian species among marine turtles. The
turtle takes about 12 to 15 years before they reach adulthood and return
to the nest
The close relative of the Green Turtle is the olive Ridley turtle This
species has a length of about 70 to 75 centimeter and weight upto 100 -
115 Ibp. They are very rare and are the smallest among the marine turtles.
All marine turtle species face the danger of extinction due to the following
main reasons
Commercial trade for turtle skin, shell. medicines and cosmetics.
Destruction of eggs by predators and poachers.
Accidental captures of turtles in fishing nets.
Extensive shore-line development, human disturbance and pollution.
Turtles are famous and well known as living dinosaurs in the world.
They first appeared on earth almost 159-200 million years ago during the
Triassic period. Their ancestors were land dwelling reptiles. If, through
negligence and greed, we allow these magnificent animals to become extinct,
we will have lost one of the most ancient vertebrate life forms in our
world today.
Hawkes Bay
Further west, along the coast from Sandspit are the beaches of Hawkes Bay,
25 km (16 miles) from the center of Karachi. Here there are beach huts
for rent. These should be arranged in the city. There are long stretches
of fairly clean sand (camel and horse) rides and other seaside amusements
are common. It is crowded at weekends. For most of the year the swimming
is good, in the prescribed areas. In May and June watch out for the stinging
jellyfish. In the Monsoon . during July and August, the sea is extremely
rough and dangerous. In September and October the waves are excellent for
surfing. in winter the sea is cold, but for those brought up near the Atlantic.
It is still very pleasant.
French Beach
It is located off the Hawkesbay-Paradise Point road approximately mid-way
between the two spots. It is exclusively for foreigners. However, Pakistanis
who have their huts can also enter there. The Beach is surrounded by a
boundary wall restricting the unauthorized entries. Parts of the Beach
are rocky and the water clear making it good for snorkeling and skin-diving.
Visitors must however, bring their own snorkels fins, flippers mask 'lungs',
etc. Those interested in scuba-diving can hire boats for the day to take
them to better spots of greater depth where bigger game can be speared.
Gaddani Beach
A metalled road leads northwest from Karachi to Gaddani Beach 48 km (30
miles) away over the Hub River. It lies in Baluchistan it is not possible
for foreigners to go beyond the Hub River or to travel further along the
Mekran coast into Balochistan without express permission Pakistanis can
however, go there freely.
The Harbor
Karachi is perhaps the best natural harbor in the entire region Approaching
from the sea you see on your right two absolutely bare rocks the Oyster
Rocks. standing like sentinels in stone guarding the entrance of the channel
Time and seawater have eroded and carved fantastic figures and shapes.
Fish Harbor
For those interested in seafood. A visit to the Fish harbor on the West
Wharf can be particularly rewarding Hundreds of gaily decorated boats and
country-craft bring in their daily haul for local consumption as well as
for export Sea-foods like prawns, crabs and lobsters etc. are in fact.
One of Pakistan's major foreign exchange earners.
Water Sports
In these sheltered coves of the beaches you can skin or scuba dive in safety
and seclusion. As indeed you can all along the Karachi beaches Boating
in and around this area on moonlit night can be a very pleasant experience
you can hire a boat at Keamari. There are plenty of fish and lobsters and
shell and coral in these waters Karachi Diving and Salvage Agency Telephone
No 538095
Quaid-e-Azam's Mausoleum
The last resting-place of the Founder of Pakistan, is an exquisite Monument,
which was completed in 70's. It reposes on a hill on the east of M.A. Jinnah
Road and dominates the city .The structure is faced with white marble and
pointed Moorish arches filled with copper grills. It s huge crystal chandelier
has been donated by the Chinese. The main 'Mazar' is surrounded by sprawling
terraced well-kept gardens which provide relief to the people in the evenings.
Three times a day colorful changing of the guard ceremony can be seen and
enjoyed.
Wazir Mansion
This is the birthplace of the Quaid-i-Azam. It has now been converted into
a museum as it lies in the old city in Kharadar. visting it would give
you the feel of Karachi as it was 100 years ago.
National Museum
This beautiful structure, surrounded by lush lawns. Lies close to the Sindh
Secretariat It houses a good collection of Indus civilization artifacts.
Gandhara sculpture. Some Hindu sculptures and Muslim objets d art It has
an interesting ethnological gallery illustrated manuscripts and coins rooms
and a special exhibition hall Close by is another beautiful Museum containing
the works of the famous artist Faizi Rahamin
Sindh Madressa
It is the oldest Educational Institution in the town where the Quaid-e-Azam
got his early education. It lies behind the Habib Bank Plaza in an old
part of the city
Flagstaff House
A relic of national importance connected with the founder of Pakistan.
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been restored and made the Quaid-e-Azam
Museum. It has been decorated with Quaid-e-Azam's belongings and personal
apparels. It belonged to the Quaid-e-Azam. Though he never got to live
there. Known to have been constructed about a century back, it was acquired
by the Karachi Cantonment Board in 1946. From a private owner, to be used
as official residence of General Douglas Gracy. The officer Commanding
of the Sindh area. That is why it came to be known as Flagstaff House.
Built in the typical anglo-lndian style. The official architecture of the
British Raj. prevalent during the 19th century in the sub-continent. Located
at an area of 2 6 acres the Flagstaff House comprises a main building.
An annex. 18 outhouses. 4 garages and three guard rooms. Main building
is built in limestone masonry and wooden trussed roof finished with Mangalore
(red ceramic) tiles, The annex is connected to the main house by a covered
corridor. The roof of which is again pitched and finished with Mangalore
tiles dating back to 1865.
Karachi also has some excellent mosques. The Defense Society mosque
(namely Masjid-e-Tooba) has probably the largest dome in the world. The
Memon Mosque situated near Boulton Market. New Town Mosque and Hussania
Iranian Imambargah are worth a visit too.
Some interesting churches in colonial architecture include the Holy
Trinity, St. Andrews Church near the Empress Market and St. Patrick's Roman
Catholic Cathedral on Shahrah-e-lraq.
A grand heritage of Victorian architecture is evident in the red stone
Municipal Corporation building. Sand stone KPT building. Old State Bank,
Frere Hall, now called Bagh-e-Jinnah, Mereweather Tower. The Sindh High
Court, a red stone building with cupolas, balconies and pillars. The Sindh
Assembly building the Cotton Exchange Building. The Habib Bank Plaza (the
tallest structure in Karachi) the State Bank of Pakistan building and many
others.
Manghopir
Here you will find a Sulphur Thermal Spring, which is reputedly good
for skin diseases. Rheumatism, frigidity and other afflictions. Manghopir
has a shrine of the Muslim Saint Mangho.
Arriving in Sindh from Bukhara in the 13th century the saint meditated
in a cave in the village until his death at the age of 150 years which
according to local legend, is guarded by crocodiles. It is about 40 km
from Karachi and buses depart from Lea Market. There are no hotels here'
only sheds for local travelers and pilgrims.
An interesting legend is attached to the shrine . The crocodiles are
of a snub nosed variety; different from the long spouted Gharials of the
Indus.
Safari Park
A Safari Park is being developed on the University Road, over an area of
401 acres. Among other facilities it has an open Zoo, which will have 18
different enclosures spread over an area of 182 acres. Work on the deer
enclosure, spread over 25 acres, has been completed and the animals are
released there. In outlook. it is similar to many Safari Parks of the world.
The Park has a "View Point" on a higher altitude at a hillock. Visiting
Foreign Dignitaries to Karachi, will plant saplings there. Though still
under construction, the Park is a popular place for the Karachians to visit
in the evening, and on holidays.
Bagh-e-Quaid-e-Azam
On Abdullah Haroon Road, opposite the Holiday Inn Hotel, the Baghe Quaid-e-Azam
is situated in the heart of the city, and is being developed into a beauty
spot. Al1 its lawns are to be fertilized and new grass grown. Old benches
are being recarpetted. It has a Japanese Garden as well.
There are slides and swings and other facilities for the children The
garden is open for the public from 7.00 A.M. to 11.00 A.M. and from 3.00
P.M. to 11.00 P.M.
Pakistan Steel
The single largest industrial complex in the country. Pakistan Steel now
provides a sound base to the engineering goods including downstream industries.
The Steel Mill is also instrumental for the rapid industrial growth of
Pakistan. with a production capacity of 1.1 million tonnes of steel annually
~ which can be expanded to over 2 million tonnes - Pakistan Steel is in
a position to meet the major and even hitherto unmet demand of high quality
steel products A project of Rs 24,700 million.
You can visit the Steel Mills by arrangements with its Public Relations
Department.
[Index] [History]
[Quaid-i-Azam] [Chronology]
[Speeches] [Provinces]
[Sight & sound]
[Capital] [Personality]
[Economy] [Sports]
[Geography] [Weather]
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