Pakistan: Karachi – Frere Hall

A must see in Karachi is the Frere Hall, originally completed in 1865 during the British colonial era and intended as Karachi’s town hall, it now serves as an exhibition space and library, housing the National Library with over 70,000 books. The Venetian-Gothic building constructed from yellow limestone stand in stark contrast to the rest of dusty and grey Karachi. The upper floors host hosts the Sadequain Gallery, showcasing murals and artworks by the renowned Pakistani artist Sadequain, a bit futuristic and avant-garde, but super impressive. The library in the bottom floor is quite crowded with locals coming to study and read the books, some quite old and rare.