Victoria Road, Karachi [Bird Eye View]

وکٹوریہ روڈ ، کراچی

Photograph with a view of Karachi looking in a northerly direction along Victoria Road, with St Andrew's Church visible in the distance, taken by an unknown photographer, c.1900, from an album of 46 prints titled 'Karachi Views'. Views 21-32 from this album join together to form a 360 degree panorama of the city from the tower of Trinity Church. In the centre of the print is the single storey range of hospital buildings, with the Roman Catholic Church and Convent directly behind. Karachi, one of the world's largest metropolises, was once the capital of Pakistan. It is now the capital of the Sindh province in the lower Indus valley, and is the financial and commercial centre of Pakistan. This huge city was however developed only in the mid-19th century after the British conquest of Sindh. Karachi is built around a bay which is a natural harbour protected from storms by a group of small islands. Its history prior to the 18th century is sketchy but it is believed to be the ancient port of Krokala on the Arabian Sea, visited by Alexander's admirals in 326 BC. The small fishing village was known as Kolachi-jo-Goth in the 18th century, and became a trading post under the Kalhoras and the Talpur rulers of Sindh, but the port remained small. With the British development of its harbour it grew into a large city and an important centre of trade.