The book explores some of the central issues in the current discourse on transitional cultures, in a world increasingly dominated by technological innovations and rapidly changing values. Critiquing modernity as a Euro-centric ideology which has little relevance or meaning in the context of cultures with different experiences of history, sensitivities, and belief systems, the book presents the traditional perspective, rooted in perennial wisdom, as an alternative framework. Here not only do art and architecture have a positive and constructive role and function, but human endeavour generally can find a purpose and direction.
Pakistan 's historic architecture is dominated by tombs and holy monuments. Pakistan is also known for its contemporary design. In 1958, Pakistan opted to relocate its capital from Karachi to a new city that would be named Islamabad, or "Land of Islam ".Multiplicity describes pakistani architecture. Contemporary ventures deal with numerous narratives, both pursuing tradition and departing from it. Modern designs are influenced by broader contexts, guided by the coexistence and juxtaposition of situations such as controlled growth and informal settlements in Karachi and Islamabad; These public and private initiatives in turn explore new ways and designs. Even though Pakistan has a strong history of structures from Indo-Saracen and Mughal, there are several other examples of Islamic architecture and modern ventures.Dive right straight into this book to discover more about the history, culture, people and architectural designs of Pakistan!
Muslim contribution towards evolving and perpetuating a distinctive style of architecture in the South Asian subcontinent has been epoch-making. Different and divergent from its local counterpart, the style was essentially a synthesized assimilation of foreign as well as local elements, which together created marvels both of religious and secular buildings. While foreign elements were introduced by the Arabs, Persians, Turks, and the Central Asians, local characteristics were borrowed from the Hindu-Jaina temples and Buddhist monastic establishments. The Muslims built their habitats according to the dictates of their faith, their taste and resources, and in accordance with the prevailing climatic conditions, availability of materials, and proficiency of technical know-how. During the last hundred years several art and architectural historians have described and evaluated the birth, adolescence, and maturity of these styles. However, a cumulative of the exploration and excavation of several archaeological sites and surveys of hitherto unknown or little known standing monuments, was yet to be attempted. The present book gives a resume of these efforts and researches, putting it in chronological perspective and geographical sequence. The material researched and illustrated by the architectural historians and published in the annual reports, memoirs and journals of the old Archaeological Survey of India and the Pakistan Department of Archaeology, has been generously and extensively adapted and included in the text. For the first time, after analytical treatment it has been presented in order to give a comprehensive picture of Islamic architecture in South Asia, up to the time of the decline and extinction of the grand Moghul Empire.
In Pakistan's northwest, a sequence of temples built between the sixth and the tenth centuries provides a missing chapter in the evolution of the Hindu temple in South Asia. Combining some elements from Buddhist architecture in Gandharā with the symbolically powerful curvilinear Nāgara tower formulated in the early post-Gupta period, this group stands as an independent school of that pan-Indic form, offering new evidence for its creation and original variations in the four centuries of its existence. Drawing on recent archaeology undertaken by the Pakistan Heritage Society as well as scholarship from the Encyclopaedia of Indian Temple Architecture project, this volume finally allows the Salt Range and Indus temples to be integrated with the greater South Asian tradition.
This volume addresses these issues through the description of a series of interventions of territorial planning, environmental protection, recovery of historic buildings and traditional villages and the provement of living conditions. 260 b/w & 220 colour illustrations
The Sikh heritage is spread all over Pakistan and enriches the urban environments with beautiful gurdwaras, smadhis, havelis, gardens and garden pavilions. The Sikh also left their mark on the Mughal forts in Lahore and Sheikhupura. The Sikh architecture is an amalgamation of Hindu and Mughal architecture with an inspiration from the art of Rajput pahari. Although the Sikh art have been discussed by a number of scholars, the architecture of the buildings have never been documented. Similar to other historical monuments these structures have also suffered ravages of time. In recent years the Evacuee Trust Property Board, Government of Pakistan, has taken special interest to preserve this important heritage. The best example is the Gurdwara Kartarpur, which is being developed for the large Sikh community so that they can visit it with convenience. The Shrine is located by the River Ravi close to Narowal and Shakargarh, Pakistan, close to the border with India. During the lifetime of Guru Nanak, the Governor of the area, Duni Chand met with Guru Nanak at Pakhoke and granted him agricultural land on the right bank of river Ravi. On the Guru's acceptance of the land he decided to settle there and a small building or hut was constructed. Kartarpur thus became the first Sikh spiritual center. There is a reference in the historical books that Guru formally laid the foundation of Kartarpur on Magh 13, 1572 Bikrmi year [1515AD]. Apart from Duni Chand, Guru's disciple Doda was also helpful.The gurdwara was built to commemorate the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, settled after his missionary work. He assembled a Sikh community there, and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. The gurdwara is built where Guru Nanak is said to have died. The shrine is said to house the last copies of the original Guru Granth Sahib. This publication is a step forward in bringing the Sikh heritage to the wider audience across the world. For better preservation a full documentation of the Sikh heritage in the form of plan, elevation, and decorative details of the historical structures is necessitated. Many historic residences have been demolished only to be replaced with modern structures. Those that remain must be preserved. The haveli at Badana near Wagha is the finest monument in fair face and cut, as well as in dressed brick work, and Khem Singh haveli at Kalar Sayedan near Rawalpindi is one of the finest examples of portrait art. A large number of gardens at Kunjah, Eminabad and in Alipur Chatta have vanished or are in a bad state of preservation. It is our hope that this publication will open new avenues towards documentation and research in this chapter of history of architecture.
