LITERARY SERAI, ARAMBAGH & ARTILLERY QUARTER SERAI, ARAMBAGH & ARTILLERY QUARTER

Serai Quarters is enclosed as a triangular block in between M.A Jinnah Road (Bunder Road), Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road (Kutchery Road) and I.I Chundrigarh Road. The residents of this area hail from different religious and cultural backgrounds, but are socially well knit and live together in harmony. Arambagh Quarter was previously known as the Rambagh Quarter. This quarter holds the popular urdu bazaar inspired by the one in Delhi. Starting with 4 shops, it has now expanded to around 350 bookshops.

Artillery Quarter was first a large open ground which served as a rifle practice range and parade ground during the British Raj, hence labeled as “Artillery Maidan”. It served as a residential area and as a space for artillery practice. Buildings such as the High Court, Sindh Assembly and Frere Market have existed in this quarter since 1906. URDU BAZAAR LITERARYTRAIL SERAI, ARAMBAGH & ARTILLERY QUARTER

RADIO PAKISTAN

BURNES GARDEN This is a trail for lovers of history and book worms. Navigate your way through the MUNICIPAL narrow alleyways and busy lanes of Arambagh and Serai Quarters. Prepare to embark on a journey through time and traffic to explore the buildings and places that are a PARK legacy of the rich literary heritage of the subcontinent.

M.A. JINNAH ROAD Starting with (A) Pioneer Book House, immerse yourself in the earthy scent of old books and artifacts. Pioneer Book House was established in 1945, and is home to books covering a variety of topics and subjects, ranging from finance and law to contemporary literature. As you enter the shop admire the ancient architecture and walk into a secluded, quiet and empty haven, filled with literary treasures and artifacts. DJ SCIENCE After you indulge yourself in literary classics, navigate your way to Burnes Road, which COLLEGE was named after a British doctor who worked as a spy during British Raj in the 18th ARAM Century. Get ready to treat yourself to classic Pakistani cuisine and street food. As you BAGH pave your way through the street, you will be greeted with a variety of tantalizing PIONEER aromas from different food vendors as they prepare their scrumptious dishes. If you end BOOKSTORE up overindulging in food, don’t say we didn’t warn you.

At a 5 minute walking distance from Burnes road stands the majestic building of (B) DJ Science College which was inaugurated by the Governor of Bombay in 1882. Make a brief stop there to admire the architecture and interact with the ambitious students who attend the college. You can then make your way towards (C) Burnes Garden to enjoy a peaceful moment surrounded by nature. The garden not only houses the National Museum of Pakistan, but also neighbours the historic building of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Enjoy your siesta! Once you have caught your breath, make your way towards the world of books, while moving through the intricate, rhizomatic, and oldest book market of the subcontinent, (D) Urdu Bazar. Urdu Bazaar is a haven for book worms and stationery lovers. This bazaar was shifted from Mission Road to the Arambagh Quarter and has been thriving here since 1950. The shop owners are sure to greet you with warm smiles and invite you over for a cup of ‘thanda’ or ‘garam’ (tea, coffee, or juice). You will not be able to resist buying a few books in this inviting market.

Your final stop is the beautiful sandstone building of (E) Radio Pakistan, previously known as Pakistan Broadcasting Service which had the honor of announcing the birth of a new nation, Pakistan, as their first ever transmission. Several famous Urdu literature poets and writers have been affiliated with this radio station. If you want to walk the footsteps of the great artists, poets, eminent thinkers and personalities that worked here, pop into the Fankar Gali which was a favorite spot for those working at Radio Pakistan.

25 MINS

CYCLE 2. 9 KM

50 - 120 MINS

WALK 2. 9 KM LITERARYTRAIL.PLACES

PIONEER BOOK HOUSE RADIO PAKISTAN

Pioneer book house is one of the oldest book shops in Old Town, Karachi. The book shop has been on Radio Pakistan was originally known as Pakistan Broadcasting Service and has since been the hub of the map of Saddar since 1945. Before entering the shop, one can take a few minutes to admire the audio broadcast. It came into being when it first announced the independence of Pakistan in 1947. Their architecture of the two-story colonial building that has witnessed the tumultuous decades before partition first ever announcement was: “Greetings Pakistan Broadcasting Service. We are speaking from Lahore. of India, the birth of Pakistan, and the events that have unfolded since then. The owner of the book shop The night between the thirteenth and fourteenth of August, year forty-seven. It is twelve o'clock. Dawn of will leave you to explore the shop where time stands still, allowing you to browse through the shelves full Freedom.” Imagine and recreate this moment in your head while admiring the magnificent architecture of old books with yellow, crumbling pages. There is a stairway to the first floor where you walk into a of this building. This historic building has produced talent such as Zia Moheyeddin and Qurban Jillani hall full of bookshelves, but also art and paintings waiting to be claimed by a collector. The shopkeeper which has ruled the hearts of millions of people. If it wasn’t for Radio Pakistan, our country would have is a lover of history and likes to preserve old things that may not seem to have any use these days. You never witnessed the greatness of art through this medium. will see Pots, topis, empty alcohol and perfume bottles, steel utensils adorning the shelves and tables on the first floor. The shop is also home to forgotten or discarded items.

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DJ SCIENCE COLLEGE URDU BAZAAR

The unique yellow sandstone complex of the DJ “Urdu” comes from the Turkish word “Ordu” meaning science college is constructed in the Italian “army” and “bazaar” is a Persian word for market. Renaissance style and has been on the map of old Urdu bazaar is one of the oldest and largest book town Karachi since 1887. The colonial architectural markets in Saddar. It is characterized by stalls selling marvel has witnessed the long and tumultuous notebooks, papers, text books and novels at decades before and after the partition of India. wholesale rates. There are book shops dating back to The fountain in the middle of the lush green pre-partition India. The bazaar is buzzing with energy: gardens serve as a source of water and an you will see people from all walks of life interacting attraction for many birds, especially pigeons. The with each other. You can choose from an endless domes adorning the stone tower contribute most to variety of books to peruse through and sit down with the magnificence of the building. The building is the hospitable shop keepers to have a cup of tea. truly an awe-inspiring sight.

= “I used to have a successfully running bookstore until two years ago when my 18-year-old nephew, who managed the shop with me, passed away. As a result, I had to evacuate the space and ended up losing 4 million rupees. I had no choice left but to downsize my business and setup my bookstall here.”

- Nazik, Urdu Bazaar LITERARYTRAIL.PEOPLE

ZAFAR HUSSAIN. PIONEER BOOK HOUSE FERHAN ABBAS HASHMEY. RADIO PAKISTAN

“I was born in 1965 in Karachi, at a time when diesel-operated trams could be seen in Saddar. There were “At the time of creation of Pakistan there was no radio station in Karachi. There were only 2 radio wings tongas and ferries which would take foreign travelers on a tour of Saddar - from Pakistan Chowk to Frere in Peshawar and in Lahore and another in Dhaka. Radio Pakistan was moved here in 1951 during Hall. I am the owner of this bookstore and have been running the shop since I was 13 years old. This book Liaquat Ali Khan's era. Since then, it has been operating in the same building. This building is from the house belonged to my paternal grandfather, who once owned a bookshop in Mumbai by the name ‘Baazi colonial era and is made of sandstone. Many artists have been associated with Radio Pakistan over the Kutub Khana’ before partition. After he passed away, my father took over as manager and bequeathed it decades. Our primary job has been to create social cohesion between the peoples of Pakistan. However, to me before he departed. Until 2001, foreign tourists used to visit Pioneer Book House mainly because of the standard of transmission has been falling over the years which is very sad.” Pakistan’s trade with foreign countries. The foreigners would talk to us in fluent Urdu. A few years ago, I was on the verge of selling the book house but later decided against it and rejuvenated it in 2016. A lot of people came to visit this otherwise quiet space during the Karachi Biennale in 2017.“ TEAM PLAYGROUND Center for Trandisciplinarity, Design & Innovation at Habib University, Karachi.

PROJECT LEAD Hira Zuberi - Associate, Playground

RESEARCH ASSISTANTS Sarah Khan Ailiya Nooruddin Merchant Faizan Jessani Kanza Rizvi Dhuha Alvi Wajiha Ghazanfar Farooq Haris Karim Ladhani

This project has been commissioned by : Karachi Neighborhood Improvement Project BIBLIOGRAPHY

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