The Reading Room Karachi—
Preserving History, One Page at a Time
The Reading Room Karachi is an initiative by Numaish-Karachi to protect the vulnerable, physical collection of historic books in the Khalikdina Hall and Library. These include rare publications donated by the community from the time of its inception in 1906.
The rare manuscripts were cataloged and formed this digital archive for online public access. We aim to research and source existing collections to create a repository for the history of Karachi, its built environment, and its people. The next step will be to invite people to share their collections and memorabilia to enhance The Reading Room Karachi and create histories for the future.
This is part of the larger project to revitalize and open up the Hall and Library as an inclusive urban retreat, promoting healthy exchanges amongst visitors of different age groups, genders, ethnicities, and socio-economic groups.
Our Mission
- Digitizing and curating rare books, manuscripts, and historical images.
- Providing an accessible digital archive for public use.
- Encouraging a culture of learning by making historical knowledge widely available.
- Researching and sourcing collections to create a repository for Karachi’s history, its built environment, and its people.
- Inviting individuals to contribute their collections and memorabilia to enrich this growing archive.
Why It Matters
Over the years, many invaluable books and historical records have been lost, forgotten, or remain out of reach. By bridging this gap, The Reading Room Karachi ensures that these intellectual treasures remain accessible, fostering a deeper understanding of our shared history. This initiative is also part of a larger effort to revitalize and reopen Khalikdina Hall and Library as an inclusive urban retreat, promoting healthy exchanges among visitors of diverse backgrounds.
Numaish-Karachi
Numaish-Karachi is an interdisciplinary collective committed to transforming public spaces into cultural platforms—open-air galleries, laboratories, classrooms, and playgrounds—through interactive and interdisciplinary projects. Since 2015, Numaish-Karachi has led over 100+ site-specific interventions at 14 locations in Pakistan and internationally, collaborating with artists, designers, architects, musicians, filmmakers, engineers, and digital innovators.
Khalikdina Hall and Library
Seth Ghulam Hussain Khalikdina, a Khoja merchant of Karachi, contributed 18,000 rupees and Karachi Municipal Corporation provided 15,000 rupees to build a new library to replace the smaller Native General Library. The building was designed by Moses Somake in a Classical Palladian style.
The building was opened to the public in 1906 and soon became a popular location for public meetings and cultural performances. The historic Trial of Sedition 1921 by the British Raj against Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and six others was conducted here.
On December 15, 1947, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah renamed the All-India Muslim League as the Pakistan Muslim League at this heritage site.
Allama Rasheed Turabi held majalis every Muharram from 1949 to 1971—a tradition that continues to this day.
The Reading Room I Karachi is a collaboration between Numaish-Karachi and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Supported by the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund in Partnership with the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Copyright & License: The content on this site remains the property of The Reading Room Karachi and is free to use. However, any reproduction must credit the original source. If used online, a link back to this site is required.