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Denso Hall, Karachi

Denso Hall is a library located at the corner of M.A. Jinnah Road and Murad Khan Road in Saddar Town, Karachi. It was constructed in 1886 as the first library for the natives of Karachi and designed by James Strachan.

Along M.A. Jinnah Road Denso Hall is flanked on one side by the well-known Jahangir Kothari Building, also designed by James Strachan, and on the other several other attractive structures. On the opposite side are situated several historic buildings built by the old merchant princes as reminder of Karachi’s eminence as the largest wheat exporter in the entire British empire. The famous Marriott Road in the rear also carries many protected historic structures. The area is easily accessible from all parts of Karachi.

History

Karachi was a small port town during the reign of the Talpur dynasty in Sindh. The British East India Company conquered Karachi on February 3, 1839 and started developing it as a major port town. The British realised the importance of the city as a military cantonment and rapidly developed its harbour for shipping. The foundations of a city municipal government were laid down and infrastructure development was undertaken. The British colonial government-built libraries in Karachi, but they were restricted to British colonial officers and their families only.

In 2010, it was announced that the Heritage Foundation Pakistan, with financial support from Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, will restore Denso Hall as a Heritage site.

Open in Google Map: 24.8535505, 67.0049027

[Source: Discover Pakistan | Coordinates: Talha Nasir | Photos from Google Map users]