Khaliq Dina Hall

Khaliq Dina Hall
خالق دینا ہال
Khaliq Dina Hall, completed in 1906
Interactive map of the Khaliq Dina Hall area
General information
TypeHall and library
Architectural style
Palladian
LocationMA Jinnah Road, Karachi, Pakistan
Coordinates24°51′28″N 67°00′42″E / 24.857874°N 67.011794°E / 24.857874; 67.011794
Completed
1906
Technical details
MaterialSandstone
Design and construction
ArchitectMoses Somake

Khaliq Dina Hall (Urdu: خالق دینا ہال), also rendered as Khaliq Deena Hall, is a library and public hall located on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi, Pakistan. The building was completed in 1906 and designed by the Lahore-born Iraqi-Jewish architect Moses Somake in a Palladian style. It was named after Ghulam Hussain Khaliqdina, a Khoja merchant and philanthropist who contributed 18,000 of the total 33,000 rupees required for construction, with the remainder provided by the Karachi Municipal Corporation.[1] The hall has hosted significant political and religious events since its opening and is now protected as a cultural heritage site of Sindh.

History

Foundation and construction

The building's predecessor, the Native General Library, was established in 1856.[2] In 1902, Ghulam Hussain Khaliqdina donated 18,000 rupees towards the construction of the present building, with the remaining 15,000 rupees funded by the Karachi Municipal Corporation. The building was completed in 1906.[1]

Khaliqdina was also instrumental in the establishment of Sindh Madressatul Islam.[3] Raised in the Khoja tradition of Shia Islam, he was subsequently condemned by the Aga Khan for his engagement with the Twelver branch of Shia Islam, leading him to renounce the Khoja tradition and convert to Twelver Shia Islam.[3]

Colonial and early independence period

In 1921, Khaliq Dina Hall served as the venue for what became known as the Trial of Sedition, in which British authorities prosecuted Maulana Shaukat Ali and Maulana Mohammad Ali Jouhar on charges of mutiny arising from speeches they made in support of the Khilafat Movement.[4]

On 20 February 1949, the hall hosted the first session of the Pakistan Muslim League Council following the country's independence, attended by Pakistan's first Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan.[5] The hall was also used after independence as a site for Majlis gatherings during the final ten days of Muharram, addressed by Islamic scholars including Allama Rasheed Turabi, Allama Aqeel Turabi and Dr Kalbe Sadiq.[1]

Later history

In 1970, Dada Amir Haider Khan, a Communist activist, delivered a speech at the hall.[6] The hall also served as a meeting venue for the left-wing National Students Federation.[6] In 1994, the original teak roof collapsed during a heavy rainstorm.[6]

Architecture

The building was designed by Moses Somake, an Iraqi-Jewish architect born in Lahore,[7] in a Palladian style.[8] Its principal external feature is a veranda approximately ten feet wide, fronted by twelve Ionic pillars in the Greek style supporting a triangular pediment.[8] The pediment bears the inscription "Ghulam Hoosain Khalikdina Hall and Library 1906".[8]

The building's exterior measures 525 by 325 feet, with an interior hall 95 feet in length and 45 feet in width.[8] The interior ceiling height is 30 feet, and the main hall can seat approximately 600 persons.[1] The original pitched roof was constructed of teak wood.[6]

Conservation

The hall was renovated in 1959 in advance of an address by President Ayub Khan. Restoration of the collapsed roof commenced in 1996.[6] A further restoration was carried out in 2002 by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation at a cost of 15 million rupees.[1] The building is now protected as a cultural heritage site of Sindh.[4]

A subsequent restoration was undertaken by Numaish Karachi, a cultural organisation, under its Reading Room initiative, in collaboration with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, and funded by the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund in partnership with the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport.[9] The restored hall was inaugurated on 16 December 2024 by Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab and other civic officials.[10] At the inauguration, the mayor described the restoration as part of a broader municipal effort to return Karachi's historic buildings to their original condition and to preserve them for future generations, citing comparable projects at Frere Hall and the Karachi Metropolitan Building.[10]

Following the restoration, the hall hosted the Reading Room Festival on 30 November 2025, a public cultural event featuring workshops, panel discussions, theatrical performances and qawwali, with free admission.[9]

The hall currently contains a public hall used for various events, a library, and a room occupied as an office by a local non-governmental organisation.[1][11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The past is another story". dawn.com. Dawn. 22 December 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  2. ↑ Askari, Sabiah (5 October 2015). Studies on Karachi: Papers Presented at the Karachi Conference 2013. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4438-8450-1.
  3. 1 2 Jones, Justin; Qasmi, Ali Usman (14 May 2015). The Shi'a in Modern South Asia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-10890-5.
  4. 1 2 "Hallmark of history: Khaliq Deena Hall". dawn.com. Dawn. 20 September 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  5. ↑ Shastri, Amita; Wilson, A. Jeyaratnam (11 January 2013). The Post-Colonial States of South Asia: Political and Constitutional Problems. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-11866-1.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "City govt ignores Khalikdina Hall's plight". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "The Jews built Karachi, but we built shopping plazas on their synagogue". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Libraries: book lover's paradise". fp.brecorder.com. Business Recorder. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Karachi's historic Khaliqdina Hall will host the Reading Room Festival this Sunday". images.dawn.com. Dawn Images. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Renovated Khaliq Dina Hall opens its doors". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 16 December 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Rediscovering the city: no place like Karachi". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
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