Khairpur’s Architectural pride
TALPURS CAME TO SINDH AS SOLDIERS OF the Kalhoras. They took over from them due to internecine intrigues and ruled Sindh for a period of sixty years (1783-1843 CE) when they lost Sindh to the British. Kalhora and Talpur monuments depict perfection with Persian and Central Asian influences and a distinctive style that came to be referred to as Sindhian architecture. Blue and white tile embellishment, intricate brick, carved and chequered stone work on monuments of the eighteenth century and thereafter reflect local characteristics of the time. Many buildings of the 18th and 19th centuries call for proper restoration and maintenance.

Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur (1783-1801 CE) bestowed on Mir Sohrab Khan the authority to rule over Khairpur under the chauyari system. With the defeat of the Talpurs in the battle of Miani the British annexed Sindh. The Amir of Khairpur, Mir Rustom, abandoned his claim and his younger brother Mir Ali Murad Talpur was allowed to retain some purganas in the form of Khairpur State. This dynasty ruled Khairpur until 1955 when it was absorbed into the state of Pakistan. Mir Ali Murad II was the ruler of Khairpur at the time. Khairpur was administered as a welfare state, its structures and buildings stand out with their unique architecture.

The 19th century rulers of Khairpur, the Talpurs, had a profound interest in arts and crafts. . Khairpur’s havelies remind us of its glorious yesteryear. The m a g n i f i c e n t Faiz Mahal and Kot Diji monuments are a living example which the Mir of Khairpur continues to maintain.
The distinctive features of Faiz Mahal are its V shaped brick patterned columns, a central balcony on the first floor placed on the axis of the garden, the square based towers at the four corners, and a central projecting porch. Over the years, Faiz Mahal has also been known as Taj Mahal, the Jewel of Khairpur and Lakhi Bungalow because one lac rupees, a mammoth amount at that time, were spent on its construction. The houses in Kot Diji are equally fascinating and represent a period when moulded brick and wooden structures dominated the architecture of Sindh. EFT requested Mir Mehdi Raza Talpur to support the Trust in its efforts to assist the conservation and restoration of buildings in Khairpur and Kot Diji.
On Febuary 4, 2010 the EFT approved an allocation of Rs. 10.000 million for the project, Restoration of Khairpur Monuments. The following works have been carried out under the project by Messrs Consolidated Engineering Services (Pvt.) Ltd. Karachi:

• Survey and soil investigation of Faiz Mahal, Khairpur and the White Palace, Kot Diji. Designing of the underground drainage system to control the problem of rising damp;
• Underground drainage system at the periphery of Faiz Mahal as per designs and drawings prepared by the consultant on the basis of soil investigation and geotechnical studies;
• Repairs to roof structures on the staircase of White Palace, Kot Diji;
• Preparatory activities for ascertaining ways and means for structural stabilization of Faiz Mahal and the White Palace;
• A proposal for reconstruction of the badly damaged enclosure wall of graveyard at Qadir Bux ja Quba (District Sukkur) along the pattern of Kot Diji Fort fortification.

Mohatta Palace Museum
Majestic building, Magical charm

DESIGNED AS A FAMILY RESIDENCE BY Agha Ahmed Hussain for Shiv Rattan Mohatta, a businessman from Marwar in 1927, the Mohatta Palace Museum is Karachi’s finest architectural landmark. Made of yellow Gizri and pink Jodhpur stone, the building is a fine example of the AngloMughal style of construction with a combination of domes, spandrels, balustrades, louvred shutters and railings.

After partition, Shiv Rattan Mohatta moved to the other side of the divide and the palace came to house the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. When the Foreign Office shifted to Islamabad, the palace was given to Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, who lived here from 1964 until her death in 1967. Qasr-e-Fatima as it came to be known was then occupied by her sister. The Palace become a subject of a protracted legal dispute after her passing away and was sealed for a long time which added to its deterioration.
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto supported the setting up of a museum of the arts of Pakistan in the palace and it was formally purchased for the Mohatta Palace Museum Trust in 1995. Since its first restoration, the Museum warranted conservation due to rainwater leakage from the roof, which penetrated into the underlayment of the tiles, to the rebar of the RCC roof slab and to the ceiling. The woodwork has also rotted.
The Museum Trustees requested the EFT for financial assistance, which was approved for Rs. 10.000 million. A formal agreement between the Mohatta Palace Museum and the EFT was signed in May 2010. The tile work on the roof has been relaid and its waterproofing completed. Restoration work is in progress on the marble work, the balustrades and the woodwork. Damage to the internal walls of the building will be addressed in the second phase.