Street life in Karachi, Sindh

City · Sindh

Karachi

Karachi is the capital of Sindh and Pakistan's largest city, with a population of more than 20 million on the Arabian Sea. It handles the majority of the country's sea trade through Karachi Port and Port Qasim, and served as the national capital from 1947 until the seat of government moved to Islamabad in the 1960s.

The story of Karachi

The city grew from the fishing settlement of Kolachi and the small port of Manora, expanding rapidly under British administration after 1839 with the railway, Empress Market of 1889 and the Frere Hall of 1865. Partition in 1947 brought a large influx of migrants, and the city has drawn people from every province since. Notable sites include Mazar-e-Quaid, the tomb of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, completed in 1970.

What to see in Karachi

  • Mazar-e-Quaid

    White marble mausoleum of Pakistan's founder.

  • Empress Market

    Colonial market building in Saddar, opened 1889.

  • Frere Hall

    1865 Venetian-Gothic hall with the Sadequain ceiling.

  • Mohatta Palace

    1927 palace in Clifton, now a museum.

  • Clifton and Manora

    The city's beaches and the old lighthouse island.

Landscape of Karachi

Clifton and Sea View — Karachi

Clifton and Sea View

A long city beach on the Arabian Sea.

Manora and Sandspit — Karachi

Manora and Sandspit

The harbour island and the turtle beaches west of it.

Rivers and lakes of Karachi

Lower Indus — Karachi

Lower Indus

Controlled by the Sukkur, Guddu and Kotri barrages.

Manchhar Lake — Karachi

Manchhar Lake

Pakistan's largest freshwater lake, home to boat-dwelling Mohana families.

Arabian Sea — Karachi

Arabian Sea

Roughly 350 km of Sindh coast, with Karachi's fishing harbour at its centre.

Food of Karachi

Bun kebab — Karachi

Bun kebab

The city's street sandwich, sold from Burns Road to Boat Basin.

Biryani — Karachi

Biryani

Karachi's spiced rice with potato, a Muhajir kitchen staple.

Seafood — Karachi

Seafood

Fresh catch at Keamari and the Fish Harbour.

Heritage of Karachi

Empress Market — Karachi

Empress Market

An 1889 Indo-Gothic market hall in Saddar.

Mohatta Palace — Karachi

Mohatta Palace

A 1927 pink Jodhpur-stone house, now a museum.

Frere Hall — Karachi

Frere Hall

1865 colonial hall with Sadequain's ceiling mural.

Culture and crafts of Karachi

Bazaars — Karachi

Bazaars

Bohri, Empress and Jodia markets in the old quarter.

Truck yards — Karachi

Truck yards

Hawksbay Road workshops that supply painted trucks nationwide.

Wildlife of Karachi

Markhor — Karachi

Markhor

The national animal, a wild goat of the northern ranges.

Snow leopard — Karachi

Snow leopard

Roughly 200–420 remain in the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush.

Houbara bustard — Karachi

Houbara bustard

A winter migrant to the deserts of Balochistan and Cholistan.

Read more about this place

Best time to visit

November to February.

Getting there

Jinnah International Airport, the M-9 motorway to Hyderabad, and the main railway line.

Nearby places

Questions about Karachi

Was Karachi the capital of Pakistan?+

Yes, from 1947 until the capital moved to Islamabad in the 1960s.

How large is Karachi?+

It has a population of more than 20 million, making it the largest city in Pakistan.

Photographs of Karachi

The photo archive is a separate part of Pixistan. Browse images shot in this area once you have read the reference page.

Open the photo archive