Places You Can Visit In Karachi

The chief and most colorful city in Pakistan, Karachi, is admired with home tourists and has a good many attractions to keep population occupied. A lively sea port and budding business have made this centuries old city home to in excess of fifteen million inhabit of different races including Sindhis and Muhajirs, making it one of the major and most heavily populated commercial cities globally. Karachi has in the recent past observed several infrastructure developments making travel less complex and more rapid.

One of the key attractions in Karachi is its broad choice of fine sand beaches. The southern seashore along the Arabian Sea is a grand weekend outing for folks looking to distract themselves the city contamination and hectic lifestyle. A key place for bulky turtles to lay eggs, Karachi beaches have turtle hatcheries and folks usually stop by at nights to glimpse significant numbers of turtles come ashore. The beach is scattered with shacks quite easily available for rent or for ownership.

People in Karachi like good food and the preceding several years have observed a massive growth in the quantity of eateries that have sprung up all throughout the city. Prevalent places for eateries include Zamzama Boulevard and Bahadurabad. You have the preference of eating in your car or sit in convenient eateries. The assortment of cuisine ranges from American to local specialties and the quality is equivalent to what you would get anywhere globally.

In terms of historic locations Karachi has a reasonable number of old buildings that were produced at various points in the British capture, plenty of which are in unsatisfactory condition. However, a couple of major attractions include Mohenjodaro, the starting place of one of the first modern cultures globally and the Chaukhandi burial grounds. Mohenjodaro is easily reachable via a short airplane trip and is a wonder to see well planned streets and houses with a proper sewage system. There is a museum there dedicated to artifacts excavated from the ruins and are a testament to the advanced culture that once lived along the banks of the Indus. Facing acute shortage of funds, Mohenjodaro is dilapidating day by day. The exquisitely engraved, sand stone graves of Chaukhandi are barely an hour's travel by car from the middle of Karachi.

In terms of environment and nature, the surrounding areas of Karachi have a couple of sizeable lakes, which are home to a big variety of migratory birds and a intense incentive for bird watchers. A few hours travel by automobile is a point besides the Indus river where folks can establish the dying out blind dolphins. These grand animals are a chief attraction for environment lovers and the developing favorability has facilitated in growing money for their survival.

Karachi is current and quick paced like any urban city. Its inhabitants are tough and honored to call themselves as Karachiites and in spite of a good many security concerns in the past, Karachi's roads continue to remain lined with automobiles and travelers during the day.

Clifton Karachi - One of the most attractive residential locations in Pakistan

Karachi is the largest city and prime economic center of Pakistan, depicting its vivacious colors and rich culture. It is also a hub of fashion and trade activities with a major share in Pakistan real estate sector. It is a great combination of modern and traditional architecture where traditional architect is sober and mature while modern one is highly sophisticated. There are several popular and attractive residential locations through out Karachi and one such residential location is Clifton, Karachi.
Location & Life style:
Clifton is located near Saddar in Karachi. It is one the posh areas of Karachi property market with multitudes of attractions like modern shopping malls, neat & clean recreational areas, towering buildings, azure beach of Arabian ocean (located at south of Clifton), Jehangir Kothari Parade on the beach and shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi. It has been a prime residential area for numerous rich and elite class personalities, since before independence such as "The Bhutto family". Residents can avail high standards civic amenities and throng every evening in large number of entertaining activities like wade through shallow waters of beach and shop from modern shopping malls offering a variety of branded and international goods.
Neighborhood:
When any person considers moving somewhere else, he looks at the neighborhood after looking at the amenities and facilities of the locality. Clifton is the heart of Karachi real estate market where various ethnic groups like Muhajirs, Memons, Sindhis, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Seraikis, Balochis, Tanoli, Pakhtuns and others live. Most of the population in Clifton locality is Muslim however; some foreigners and people from other religions prefer living here.
Popular sites:

• Clifton Beach: It is the prime attraction of the locality as it holds endless entertainment for all age groups. One can find horse & camel rides, restaurants, wading & swimming in the shallow waters of Arabian Sea and nearby cinema houses.
• Dargah of Abdullah Shah Ghazi: It is one of the most popular sites of Clifton Karachi, where everyday thousands of people from different religions come to pay homage.
• Boat Basin Park: Boat Basin Park is a recreational spot of Clifton where you can explore several restaurants and food courts.
• Jehangir Kothari Parade: It is a monument (basically a bridge) situated at the beach where people walk and view Arabian Sea.

Commercial Zone:
Clifton is not only a rich class residential location of Karachi real estate market. It also has several shopping malls. Many of these shopping malls are situated near Shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi and commercial zones named Teen Talwar & Do Talwar. You can find almost every kind of stuff at these shopping malls like imported clothes, branded shoes, jewelry, electronic items, bags etc. Few famous shopping malls of Clifton are Gul shopping mall, Uzma shopping center and Chen one. These shopping malls are popular among elite class people.
All these factors make Clifton the most attractive residential location in Karachi real estate market.  It makes the residents feel as if they are living not only in the most attractive location around Pakistan but living in the most beautiful region of the whole world.

Rani Kot The World's Biggest Fort

Ranikot Fort is the world's largest fort with a circumference of about 29 km or 18 miles. Since 1993, it has been on the list of tenative UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
LOCATION:
It is located in the Kirthar Range, about 30 km southwest of Sann, in Jamshoro District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is approximately 90 km north of Hyderabad.
HISTORY:

Who constructed it first and why? Is an enigma yet to be resolved by researchers. Some archaeologists attribute it to Arabs,possibly built by a Persian noble under the Abbasids by Imran Bin Musa Barmaki who was the Governor of Sindh in 836 CE. Others have suggested a much earlier period of construction attributing to at times the Sassanians Persians and at times to the Greeks. Despite the fact that a prehistoric site of Amri is nearby, there is no trace of any old city inside the fort and the present structure has little evidence of prehistoric origins.
Archaeologists point to 17th century CE as its time of first construction but now Sindh archaeologists agree that some of the present structure was reconstructed by Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur and his brother Mir Murad Ali in 1812 CE at a cost of 1.2 million rupees (Sind Gazetteer, 677).
Fort Ranikot is located in Lakki Mountains of the Kirthar range on the right side of the mighty River Indus at a distance of about 30 kilometers from the present day town of Sann. A mountainous ridge, Karo Takkar(Black Hill), running north to south, forms its western boundary and the ‘Lundi Hills' forms its eastern boundary. Mohan Nai, a rain-stream enters the fort from its rarely used western ‘Mohan Gate', where it is guarded by a small fortification, changes its name to ‘Reni' or ‘Rani Nai' or rain-stream and gives the fort its name. Ranikot is thus the ‘fort of a rain stream' – Rani. It runs through it, tumbles in a series of turquoise pools to irrigate fields and leaves the fort from its most used ‘Sann Gate' on the eastern side. It then travels about 33 kilometers more to enter the Lion River – Indus.
Most of the twenty kilometers long wall is made of natural cliffs and barricades of mountainous rocks which at places rise as high as two thousand feet above sea level! Only about 8.25 km portions of its wall are man-made, built with yellow sandstone. This was first measured on foot by Badar Abro along with local guide Sadiq Gabol. As one enters the fort, one can find hills, valleys, streams, ditches, ponds, pools, fossils, building structure, bastions, watchtowers, ammunition depots, fortresses – all inside Ranikot, adding more to its beauty and mystery. A spring emerging from an underground water source near the Mohan Gate is named as ‘Parryen jo Tarr' (the spring of fairies).
According to a tale told by the local inhabitants, fairies come from far and wide on the Ponam Nights (full moon) to take bath at this spring near ‘Karo Jabal'! Splashing sounds of water falling on the rocks can be heard at another spring, Waggun jo Tarr or "the Crocodile Spring", named so as crocodiles once lived there.
Within Ranikot, there are two more fortresses – Meeri and Shergarh, both have 5 bastions each. Meerikot takes its name from the word ‘Mir' meaning top (for instance the top of a hill, chief of any Baloch tribe, etc.). Both the main Ranikot and the inner Meerikot have similar entrances – curved, angulated with a safe tortuous path. "The bridge in front of Ranikot resembles to a smaller bridge in front of a fortress in Verona, Italy" writes Ishtiaq Ansari, the writer of ‘Sindh ja koat aaein qillaa' (Forts and Fortresses of Sindh) and a member of Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society. From the military point of view, Meerikot is located at a very safe and central place in the very heart of the Ranikot with residential arrangements including a water-well.
Talpur Mirs used Meerikot as their fortified residence. One can explore ruins of the court, harem, guest rooms, and soldiers quarters inside it. Its 1435 feet long wall has five bastions. Every structure in the Ranikot has its own uniqueness and beauty. Looking up from Meerikot one can find another fortified citadel – Shergarh (Abode of Lions) built with whitish stone, it too has five bastions. Though its location at 1480 feet above the sea level makes this fortress a unique structure, it also makes it equally difficult for supply of water, which can only be had from the brooks and rain streams, hundreds of feet below.The steep climb up to Shergarh gives a commanding view down over the whole fort and its entrance and exit points. On a clear day one can even see Indus, 37 kilometers away to the east.
Beside the Mohan Gate and the Sann Gate, there are two more gates, rather pseudo gates. One is towards the side of ancient town of Amri. This ‘gate' is called the ‘Amri Gate'. Certainly it takes its name from the prehistoric ruins of Amri, but it must have taken this name much later than the times of Amri as the fort itself doesn't appears to be as old as the Amri itself. In fact there is a bridge over rain stream ‘Toming Dhoro' exiting from the fort called ‘Budhi Mori'. The breach in fort wall due to the river stream has been referred as a gate. Similarly, the Shahpir Gate to the south also appears to be a pseudo gate taking its name from a limestone rock with a rough shape of foot imprinted on it. The sacred footprint supposedly belongs to Hazrat Ali or some other religious personality and is venerated by locals. It seems to be a later breach in the fort wall instead of a formal gate because one can't find any bastion or watchtower or their remains at the site, needed to guard any formal entrance or exit points.
A mosque found in the fort appears to be a later modification of a watchtower or a later construction. Scattered animal skeletons and prehistoric fossils can be found on the top of Lundi Hills. One of the three graveyards has about four hundred graves made of Chowkundi like sandstone with engraved motifs of sunflowers and peacocks. Whether we can call them as theriomorphic and phytomorphic motifs is an open question. Another one appears to be a graveyard of Arabs. The third one, about a mile away from the Sann Gate, had sixteen or seventeen graves earlier but now there are only four graves. The local inhabitants call it the Roman's graveyard.

Banbhore - Ancient Commercial Metropolis

BANBHORE
Ancient Name of the city: Debal
Modern name of the town: Banbhore
Province: Sindh
Country: Pakistan
Debal became an important Arab regional commercial metropolis and premier port city in Sindh during the period of Arab rule in Sindh. The site where this thriving port city was located was located is presently known as Banbhore. It is located on the right bank of Gharo Creek, 64 kilometres towards the east of Karachi.
Known by different names at different times, Banbhore served as the premier port of Sindh for more than two millenniums from fourth century BC till the beginning of 17th century. It was at the height of it glory in the second half of eighth century and early ninth century (Abbasid period). In this period its status was considerably enhanced due to establishment of long-haul trade routes between the Persian Gulf and China, and increased interactions with different regions of the powerful Abbasid Empire. It served not only as a port city, but also as a major garrison town, and an important industrial and commercial centre.
Like many great ancient and medieval cities, the metropolis of Debal was constructed at two levels. The Citadel was located on a hill facing the seafront on one side and a sweet water lake on the other; the Lower City was where most of the common citizens lived and where the industries and agricultural farms were located. During medieval times Debal was connected through a branch of the Indus River with the inland river ports.
 THE CITADEL
 The Citadel of the ancient city of Debal was located on a 15-meter high mound. It was spread over 2.5 hectares. It was a fortified settlement in the pre-Arab period. After Arab occupation the fortifications were considerably strengthened in different periods of Arab rule. The Arabs employed heavy blocks of semi-dressed limestone and thick mud plaster in the construction of the walls. To provide additional strength and grace and to the whole structure, the abutments were reinforced and 46 semi-circular shaped bastions were built into the walls at short, regular intervals.
The hill on which the Fortress of Debal was located later came to be referred to by the locals as Sassui jo Takar (Hill of Sasui) after its association with the heroine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's romantic novel Sassi and Punhun.
The Citadel was divided into two sectors, which were divided by a mud brick wall.
 One sector contained the Palace and offices of the Governor of Debal as well as large Trading Houses. Important Public buildings, including the Grand Mosque and Assembly Halls, were also located in this Sector. A gateway on the eastern face of this sector opened up towards the harbour, while another gateway towards the west led to the Industrial Estate
The other Sector was located towards the north. A gateway was provided at the centre of the northern wall of the citadel. Stairs from the outer side of this gateway led to the sweet water lake.
The northern sector was divided into several blocks of houses, meant for people in different income groups. The houses on the Citadel were meant exclusively for Government employees and those working in the trading houses.
RESIDENTIAL SECTORS
 There were two residential sectors in Debal city. One of them was located on top of the citadel, while the other one was on the plains surrounding the citadel hill on the northern side.
For a population estimated at around 150,000, there must have been 25,000 houses in and around the Banbhore Citadel. About 10 percent of the houses were probably located in the Residential Sector of the Citadel, while the remaining 90 percent must have been located in the lower city around the lake.
Although the grid layout pattern was not followed, some degree of planning and control was exercised by the civic authority, resulting in a fairly neat arrangement of houses. A network of wide roads and narrow lanes divided the area into large and small blocks and inspite of the high density of population, there were sufficient number of open spaces and public squares.
 There was a great deal of variation in the sizes of the houses and in their quality of construction. The larger houses very often occupied an entire block; they were invariably provided with a spacious courtyard and limestone blocks were mostly employed in the foundation of the houses as well as for the walls. The smallest houses, on the other hand, were normally located in a cluster with common side and rear walls and they were mostly constructed with mud bricks.
In the Residential sector adjacent to the lake, perhaps no need was felt for a specific layout plan as there no such restriction for space as on top of the citadel. Less durable materials, clay and wood were used in the construction of houses in this sector, which is why very few remains of houses have survived. Reports of Arab travellers indicate that clay and wood were the materials commonly used in the construction of houses in this sector.
 THE GRAND CONGREGATIONAL MOSQUE
 The Grand Congregational Mosque of Debal has the singular honour of being the first major Congregational Mosque in South Asia. An inscription found in the remains of the Mosque indicates a date of 109 AH (727 C.E.). This was probably the date on which the extended plan and decorative works at the Mosque were completed. The foundations of the original Mosque constructed at the site were laid by Muhammad bin Qasim himself soon after he conquered the city in 711 C.E.
The covered area of the Grand Congregational Mosque inside a meter-thick boundary wall of dressed limestone blocks was about 40 meters by 42 meters. The Mosque was laid out on the Basilica pattern – a style, which became popular during Umayyad rule in Syria and elsewhere. The nave comprised of the covered prayer chamber and an open courtyard measuring 25 meters by 20 meters. On either side of the Prayer Chamber and courtyard, there were the covered aisles. At the rear end of the Mosque (where facilities for ablution were probably provided), the construction was similar to that of the side aisles.
The column bases in the Prayer Chamber section of the Mosque indicate that three rows of eleven wooden columns each, supported the superstructure of the Prayer Chamber, which most probably comprised of finely carved wooden arches spanning the columns, and a flat wooden roof. In almost all the Mosques belonging to the later period of Islam, the Mihrab (a niche in the Qibla Wall) was a standard architectural feature, indicating the direction of the Kaaba. However, in the Grand Mosque of Banbhore, like some other Mosques belonging to the early period of Islam, the Mihrab was not provided, which in itself is an indication of the early period of construction of this Mosque.
Some portions of flooring of the Mosque have survived, which indicate that semi-glazed monochrome tiles were used in the floors of the Prayer Chamber and courtyard, as well as in the side aisles and ablution chamber. This is perhaps the first case of use of glazed tiles for flooring in this part of the world. It seems most likely that the semi-glazed tiles were brought to Banbhore from Iraq by masons sent by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Muhtasim Billa for carrying out repairs to the Mosque after it was damaged by an earthquake.
For the decoration of the Mosque, wood carvings and calligraphic designs seem to have been extensively employed. Among the most impressive pieces, which have survived in a very good state, are fourteen dressed sandstone slabs on which Arabic texts are beautifully carved in the heavy monumental Kufic script commonly employed by the Umayyad artisans. These inscribed sandstone blocks decorated the northern face of the outer wall. Two other Kufic inscriptions found from inside the Mosque refer to Amir Muhammad Ibn Adi and Ali Ibn Musa and have dates inscribed on them 293 AH (906 C.E.) and 109 AH (727 C.E.), respectively.
Besides the remains of the Grand Mosque, the other most important architectural remains, which have survived in this sector of the Banbhore Citadel, are pieces of flooring paved with lime plaster. There are indications that the walls of the building were similarly plastered. The type of flooring and the location of the building in the immediate vicinity of the Grand Mosque, indicate that this floor was a part of a very important building, perhaps that of the Dar Al-Imara. A hoard of coins belonging to Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphs and some of those minted locally, was also found in the vicinity of this plastered floor.

ANCHORAGE
 The anchorage on the right bank of Gharo Creek at Banbhore provided a safe haven to trading vessels from the lurking danger of plunder by pirates operating in the Indian Ocean in ancient and medieval times. It also provided protected berthing facilities in stormy weather. Because of these important factors, right upto the 17th century, Banbhore remained an important port of call in this region for trading vessels.
All through this period the anchorage area at Banbhore continued to develop to meet the changing requirements of small and large ocean going vessels. It provided excellent facilities for repair and maintenance of long-haul vessels, warehousing for convenient supply of trading goods to regional markets, refuelling facilities for food and drinking water supplies besides opportunities for lucrative import/ export trade with the Indus basin region.
Plenty of space was available for such activities in the anchorage area as the mound on which Banbhore Citadel was located was at a convenient distance from the Creek. The entrance to the Citadel from the Anchorage was through the impressive Eastern Gateway. On the opposite side of the Citadel, the equally impressive Western Gateway provided access to the Industrial Sector where manufacturing facilities were close at hand to provide technical support for ship building, repairs and maintenance work at the Anchorage.
Presently swamps cover a lot of the area where the anchorage facilities were located in that period. Therefore most of the physical evidence has been destroyed.  However, Chinese stoneware belonging to the T'ang Dynasty, other imported articles, and glazed ceramics and other locally produced articles, found during the excavations in the Citadel area, indicate that the prosperity enjoyed by Banbhore during the period of Arab rule was largely due to its importance as transportation, commercial and communication centre of the Arab World.
These days, the port city, which once provided sustenance to a population of 150,000 inhabitants, mostly through economic activity generated by international trade, is virtually an abandoned settlement. The rules of the game have changed. With huge ocean going vessels transporting millions of tons of cargo annually in containers, a modern port with a huge container terminal, has been developed at an appropriate site on the same Gharo Creek, on which Banbhore is located. The new port, which is located 21 kilometres from Banbhore towards the Arabian Sea, is named Port Qasim, after the great Umayyad conqueror.
INDUSTRIAL SECTOR
  North of the Citadel, spread over more than an acre, was an area specially earmarked for location of craft industries. Broken pieces of pottery are strewn all over the place and every now and then one comes across deformed metallic objects. Archaeological investigations have revealed structural remains of large troughs, which were probably used for dying fabrics. Also found from this site, are remains of large number of kilns, heaps of ashes, crucibles, broken glass and ivory pieces.
The large variety of articles displayed in the Archaeological Museum indicate the type of sophisticated glazed ceramics and luxury goods that were being produced in the Industrial Estate at Debal (Banbhore).

Mansura - ancient capital of Sindh

Mansura served as the capital of the Arab Emirate of Sindh during the 300 year rule of the Arabs in this region of South Asia. It emerged as one of the leading cities of the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires. It had a prominent University, which produced numerous religious texts in Arabic. The scholars produced by the Mansura University established close rapport with scholars in Baghdad and other important centres of learning in the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires.
Archaeological Site
 The ruins of Mansura are spread over an area of more than 400 hectares near the city of Shahdadpur in Central Sindh.  They comprise of hillocks or mounds, some of which rise to a height of about eleven meters above the level of the surrounding plains. These mounds are encircled by about 9-kilometer long baked-brick fortification walls, with semi-circular bastions at regular intervals and four massive gates.
Sound Architectural concepts
Mansura was essentially an Arab city in which all the sectors of were laid out according to a well-conceived plan based on late Umayyad and early Abbasid experience of construction of similar cities in Iraq. It incorporated liberal concepts in the utilization of space and material resources. The 60-meter wide major arteries of traffic had spacious squares at their points of intersection; narrow lanes in residential areas were paved with baked bricks fixed on edges. The forests were cleared to make way for the construction of the new city, but date palms and fruit trees were still plentiful, lining the streets and filling up open spaces.
The Grand Congregational Mosque occupied the central square. Other buildings were constructed within similar blocks created by a network of wide roads.  Within the blocks there was a generous provision of lanes, which ensured neat packaging of houses and permitted efficient disposal of liquid effluents and solid waste material.
The general layout provided for segregation of public administration, residential, industrial and commercial activities. Industries were allocated sectors along the northern and southern boundaries of the site. Public and Administrative buildings were located all around the Grand Mosque.
Physical infrastructure
The infrastructure facilities at Mansura provide an example of the high level of sophistication achieved by the Umayyad and Abbasid architects and engineers in the art of town planning. They adapted and further refined the technologies used by the Byzantine and Sassanian town planners in Syria and Persia prior to the establishment of Umayyad Empire. Cleanliness and hygiene got high consideration in their town plans.
Elaborate provisions were made for disposal of waste water and sewerage. Open drains were generally provided in the houses of the commoners, while within the palatial buildings the drains were invariably covered. Waste water from the buildings fed an integrated network of brick-covered drains along the streets.
Refined technologies were applied for efficient disposal of sewerage. Soak pits were provided with earthenware jars and terracotta rings in an arrangement in which solid matter was first made to disintegrate by the action of anaerobic bacteria and then the effluents slowly seeped through openings between terracotta rings.
Adequate provision was also made in each sector for wells to supply sufficient clean water to each household for drinking and cooking purposes and for bathing and washing. Outside the walled city, plenty of water was available from the Indus River to maintain orchards and irrigate the fields.
Fortifications
The ever present danger of attack by enemies of the state and other hostile elements made it imperative that robust defensive structures be erected all round the medieval Arab metropolis. The defensive structures besides serving their primary purpose of acting as deterrence to anyone contemplating an assault on the settlement, served as symbols of strength and glory of the regime. All these considerations played a part in development of an appropriate design for the fortifications. Some natural defensive features were already available at the site selected for the construction of the new city of Mansura – the Indus River on the northern and western boundary of the city. It remained for the architects and designers to integrate these in the overall strategic defence plan.
The 9-kilometer long wall all along the periphery of the site was almost 3 meters wide, lined with baked bricks on the inner and outer faces and filled with mud and rubble in between. An indication of the height of the walls is provided by the surviving walls, which are 10.5 meter high. To provide added security and at the same time further strengthen the structure, 270 semi-circular bastions were built into the walls at 33 meter intervals. Out of these, about 245 have been explored so far.
Entrance to the site was through four massive gateways, one on each side of the trapezoid. These gateways were named Bab-e-Multan, Bab-e-Sindan, Bab Al-Bahr and Bab-e-Turan, presumably indicating the approximate direction of the destinations.
Congretional Mosque
Located in the elitist quarter of the city, with palatial buildings all around, the Great Congregational Mosque of Mansura stood out among all the religious buildings built by the Arabs during their 300-year rule in Sindh. Together with the Grand Mosque in Banbhore (Debal), it has the distinction of being one of the earliest mosques constructed in this region. It was constructed on a much grander scale compared to the mosque in Banbhore, had a  floor area at least twice as large, and could accommodate about 5000 worshippers at a time.
The Mosque occupied a floor area of 42 by 76 meters. All round this area was a 2-meter thick robust looking boundary wall, constructed with kiln-baked bricks and gypsum plaster. As per traditions, the main entrance to the mosque was from the direction opposite the Qibla, that is, through the eastern side of the wall. The main entrance and three side entrances were well-decorated with calligraphic designs and arches.
The plan of the mosque provided for optimum utilization of space inside the boundary walls. With this end in view the entire width of 42 meters, both in the courtyard and in the covered prayer hall, was left unobstructed to the extent possible. Appropriately enough, the most decorated and architecturally the most sound section of the mosque was the prayer hall. The superstructure employed intricately carved wooden columns, which were spanned by equally decorative arches.
The prayer hall also stood out from the rest of the mosque with regard to the type of flooring used. Large sized kiln-baked square tiles were evenly fixed to the floor with the help of gypsum plaster to produce a smooth dust-free surface almost akin to that produced by glazed tiles.
Dar Al-Imara
The Dar Al-Imara was the name given by the Umayyad and Abbasid architects and town planners to the palace of Governor or the senior most government functionary in large cities in various regions of the Empire. As per traditions this palace was located very close to the principal mosque. Although the inside construction remains to be fully excavated or identified the generally indications are that the internal layout would not be very dissimilar to that of the fully excavated building of the Dar Al-Imara in Kufa.
In the Habbarid Period the Dar Al-Imara served as the residence of Habbarid Emirs, who were known for their opulent lifestyle. Four beautifully designed bronze door-knockers, which were obviously fixed to four massive gateways, have somehow survived the destruction of the city. Together with the unusually heavy boundary wall and the bastion, these impressive artefacts provide some indication of the lavish style in which the building was constructed.
Diwan-i-Aam
Close to the Dar Al-Imara was another impressive heavy structured building with large tiled floors and lime plastered walls. The impressive architectural features indicate that the building served as the Diwan-i-Aam, or the Hall of Public Audience.

Prehistoric Venus – Beyond Ancient Art

Prehistoric Venus, or Ancient Goddess, is a reference to a class of art object made by modern humans before writing existed, therefore ‘pre-history’ by definition. Writing started in several places at approximately the same time, around 3500-3000BC. Sumer and China were close together with Sumer currently viewed as being the first. All other places were later than that with Mesoamerica being less than 1000 BC. Therefore, the term prehistoric has a different meaning depending on location.
To put things into perspective current research has the dispersal of Homo Sapien into Europe set for 45,000 to 30,000 years ago. That dispersion occurred before the last glacial period that started circa 30,000 years ago and ended circa 10,000 years ago. Glacial maximums have been associated with the extinction of species and after the last maximum (commonly called ‘the last ice age’) the only human-like life form left was Homo Sapien. Populations would rise in refuge areas (Refugiums) during the glacial periods and dispersion would occur in the interglacial periods. Art followed Homo Sapien, whether that is the earliest known cave wall painting dated to circa 30,000BC or the Ancient Goddess known as Prehistoric Venus. The oldest Prehistoric Venus found to date is the Venus of Hohle Fels, found recently in Germany, which has been dated to 40,000 to 35,000BC. That pre-dates the last glacial expansion and any known cave paintings. That is old! Its age does coincide with Homo Sapien expansion in Europe in an interglacial period.
Several other Prehistoric Venuses have been found and dated to times when the last glacial period was at its maximum; a time when Britain was largely under ice and the Iberian Peninsula was a refuge. Clearly some hardy folks remained in the frozen tundra that was Europe, at least those parts not beneath the crushing weight of glaciers.  The following are very old artifacts:
•    35,000 – 40,000BC Venus of Hohle Fels, Germany. Discovered in 2009 predates the last ice age.
•    30,000 BC - Venus of Willendorf discovered in Austria, 1908.
•    25,000 BC – Venus of Lespuge discovered in a French cave in 1922.
•    23,000 BC – Venus of Brassempouy discovered in 1894 in Brassempouy, Landes, France.
•    20,000 BC – Venus of Laussel discovered in 1911 in a cave in Dordogne, France.

All were created before or during the last glacial period.

Following are some post-glacial Venuses:

•    4000 BC – Nile River Goddess discovered in Mohamerian, near Edfu, Egypt.
•    3200-2800 BC – Turriga Mother Goddess discovered in Sardinia, Italy
•    3000 BC – Dreamer of Malta discovered on the Mediterranean island of Malta.
•    2600 BC – Harvest Goddess from Mohenjo Daro discovered in 1920 in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Prehistoric Venuses have common elements of distorted features and aggressive sexuality. Most prehistoric art found to date depicts women, which causes much speculation about the concept of ‘Mother Earth’ worship. The most intriguing aspect of Prehistoric Venus, apart from age, is commonality in form yet they come from diverse cultures and locations. We may never know the reason or how dispersed communities came to have common themes in art. Yet one truth remains; at this time the Prehistoric Venus of Hohle Fels is the oldest known art in the world.

Mansura - ancient capital of Sindh

Mansura served as the capital of the Arab Emirate of Sindh during the 300 year rule of the Arabs in this region of South Asia. It emerged as one of the leading cities of the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires. It had a prominent University, which produced numerous religious texts in Arabic. The scholars produced by the Mansura University established close rapport with scholars in Baghdad and other important centres of learning in the Umayyad and Abbasid Empires.
Archaeological Site
 The ruins of Mansura are spread over an area of more than 400 hectares near the city of Shahdadpur in Central Sindh.  They comprise of hillocks or mounds, some of which rise to a height of about eleven meters above the level of the surrounding plains. These mounds are encircled by about 9-kilometer long baked-brick fortification walls, with semi-circular bastions at regular intervals and four massive gates.
Sound Architectural concepts
Mansura was essentially an Arab city in which all the sectors of were laid out according to a well-conceived plan based on late Umayyad and early Abbasid experience of construction of similar cities in Iraq. It incorporated liberal concepts in the utilization of space and material resources. The 60-meter wide major arteries of traffic had spacious squares at their points of intersection; narrow lanes in residential areas were paved with baked bricks fixed on edges. The forests were cleared to make way for the construction of the new city, but date palms and fruit trees were still plentiful, lining the streets and filling up open spaces.
The Grand Congregational Mosque occupied the central square. Other buildings were constructed within similar blocks created by a network of wide roads.  Within the blocks there was a generous provision of lanes, which ensured neat packaging of houses and permitted efficient disposal of liquid effluents and solid waste material.
The general layout provided for segregation of public administration, residential, industrial and commercial activities. Industries were allocated sectors along the northern and southern boundaries of the site. Public and Administrative buildings were located all around the Grand Mosque.
Physical infrastructure
The infrastructure facilities at Mansura provide an example of the high level of sophistication achieved by the Umayyad and Abbasid architects and engineers in the art of town planning. They adapted and further refined the technologies used by the Byzantine and Sassanian town planners in Syria and Persia prior to the establishment of Umayyad Empire. Cleanliness and hygiene got high consideration in their town plans.
Elaborate provisions were made for disposal of waste water and sewerage. Open drains were generally provided in the houses of the commoners, while within the palatial buildings the drains were invariably covered. Waste water from the buildings fed an integrated network of brick-covered drains along the streets.
Refined technologies were applied for efficient disposal of sewerage. Soak pits were provided with earthenware jars and terracotta rings in an arrangement in which solid matter was first made to disintegrate by the action of anaerobic bacteria and then the effluents slowly seeped through openings between terracotta rings.
Adequate provision was also made in each sector for wells to supply sufficient clean water to each household for drinking and cooking purposes and for bathing and washing. Outside the walled city, plenty of water was available from the Indus River to maintain orchards and irrigate the fields.