Karachi
Pakistan'S Largest City And Main Port, Its First Capital Until 1959; Colonial Saddar And Kharadar Heritage Districts · Karachi, Sindh
Karachi is Pakistan's largest city, its main port and its commercial engine, one of the biggest cities in the world, and the country's first capital until 1959. It is not a pretty city and does not pretend to be, but it is the most diverse place in Pakistan, built by migrants from every province and from India at Partition, and people travel here from across the country for its sea, its food and its energy. The old heart is Saddar and Kharadar, where the British port city survives in stone: Frere Hall, Empress Market, the Merewether Clock Tower, the Port Trust building, and Wazir Mansion, where Jinnah was born. Mohatta Palace, a pink stone mansion of 1927, is now a museum. By the sea, Clifton and Sea View are where the whole city goes on a Sunday evening, with camel rides on the sand, and ferries cross to Manora Island. Burns Road and the Do Darya seafront are the famous places to eat. Karachi has a reputation for street crime, mostly phone snatching, and the sea is dangerous in the monsoon, when swimming is banned.
Saddar, Kharadar and Clifton, Karachi, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
A city, open at all times. Museums such as Mohatta Palace and the National Museum keep daytime hours and may close one day a week; check each. Mazar-e-Quaid has its own hours. Sea bathing is banned during the monsoon months. Jinnah International Airport has domestic and international flights. Traffic is heavy at all hours; ride-hailing is the easiest way around.