Karachi is the capital of the Province of Sind and is the largest city, principal seaport and the financial hub of Pakistan. It is also one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world and Pakistan’s major trade, industry and banking centre. Located in southern Pakistan, in a strategic location along the Arabian Sea, Karachi comprises of the two largest and chief ports of the country, Port of Karachi and Port Bin Qasim. Karachi was the former capital of Pakistan until the establishment of Islamabad in 1960, as the new capital. Karachi has a mild and dry climate and therefore the winter months from November to February are the best times to holiday here.
The city consists of great architectural structures in the neo-classical style, neo-Gothic, Italian Renaissance, English Tudor and Classical styles while a modern infrastructure marks the advent of the new era. Some of these remarkable structures include the Sind High Court, Frere Hall, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Empress Market, Karachi Gymkhana, Sind Club, Lady Dufferin Hospital and the Cantonment Railway Station to name a few. Apart from these architectural styles the use of Anglo-Mughal architecture is also seen here. Some of the Mughal revival buildings include The Hindu Gymkhana and the Mohatta Palace, now a museum.
Modern Islamic architecture includes the Aga Khan University Hospital, Bait-ul- Mukarram Mosque, Masjid e Tooba among various others. The Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road comprises of contemporary architectural structures with huge multi-storied buildings such as the MCB Tower, the tallest in the whole of Pakistan. A proposed tower to come up in the Clifton district, the Port Tower Complex, a 593 meters skyscraper comprising of a hotel, revolving restaurant, an exhibition centre and a shopping centre is expected to be one of the grandest modern structures in Karachi. It will give the most spectacular views of the port and the city.
Karachi is also a rich cultural centre and plays host to a number of cultural events and fashion shows. One can find sprawling shopping malls and designer stores selling some of the top international as well as national designer labels. There are an endless number of shopping areas in Karachi while one can find a huge array of cafés, restaurants and hotels ranging from the mediocre to the most posh hotels. The Jinnah International Airport is the busiest in Pakistan while a good railway network serves Karachi connecting it to various regions of the country.
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Photo by Skybolt provided courtesy of Panoramio.com