Fondation Max Van Berchem and ALIPH, both in Geneva, have both provided substantial grants for Professor Pradines of AKU-ISMC to pursue the documenting and conserving of the sites of medieval and Mughal period (1526–1857) port cities in the Indus Delta.
Due to climate change and global warming, the delta of the Indus is constantly altering, a phenomenon also associated with coastal sea erosion. The intervention in the Indus Delta must happen quickly for two important reasons.
First, the site of the medieval port of Jam Jasker Goth / Thambey Wari is already in the tidal zone. It cannot be saved, but it can be documented. At this site, only the top of the walls of the fortress and the great mosque are still visible, the stone mosque to the North is in ruins and damaged by sea salt. Most of the year the site is covered by shallow water, and it is only accessible at low tide during certain months of the year. Pradines and his partners plan to document this historical site before its ultimate disappearance by creating a plan and GIS (Geographic Information System). They also hope to retrieve some remains and artefacts for the site museum in Banbhore and the National Museum in Karachi.
The second reason is that the Indus Delta’s main site of Lahore Bandar has many monuments in bad condition and urgent conservation is needed, along with the implementation of protection and prevention measures to avoid further sea erosion of the shore. Lahori Bandar, which was the Sindh’s principal port during the Mughal period, is now cut in two parts by a new estuary of the Indus River. Many of its monuments, such as the city walls, houses, fort of the governor and caravanserai, are still standing. But it is necessary to act now to preserve them.
These sites have a great significance and value for the local communities of the Sindh and also for Pakistan as a whole. They are a part of the maritime Indian Ocean Silk Road heritage, and this project is encouraged and supported by the Pakistani Antiquities, UNESCO and ICOMOS.
Fondation Max Van Berchem and ALIPH, both in Geneva, have both provided substantial grants for Professor Pradines of AKU-ISMC to pursue the documenting and conserving of the sites of medieval and Mughal period (1526–1857) port cities in the Indus Delta.
Due to climate change and global warming, the delta of the Indus is constantly altering, a phenomenon also associated with coastal sea erosion. The intervention in the Indus Delta must happen quickly for two important reasons.
First, the site of the medieval port of Jam Jasker Goth / Thambey Wari is already in the tidal zone. It cannot be saved, but it can be documented. At this site, only the top of the walls of the fortress and the great mosque are still visible, the stone mosque to the North is in ruins and damaged by sea salt. Most of the year the site is covered by shallow water, and it is only accessible at low tide during certain months of the year. Pradines and his partners plan to document this historical site before its ultimate disappearance by creating a plan and GIS (Geographic Information System). They also hope to retrieve some remains and artefacts for the site museum in Banbhore and the National Museum in Karachi.
The second reason is that the Indus Delta’s main site of Lahore Bandar has many monuments in bad condition and urgent conservation is needed, along with the implementation of protection and prevention measures to avoid further sea erosion of the shore. Lahori Bandar, which was the Sindh’s principal port during the Mughal period, is now cut in two parts by a new estuary of the Indus River. Many of its monuments, such as the city walls, houses, fort of the governor and caravanserai, are still standing. But it is necessary to act now to preserve them.
These sites have a great significance and value for the local communities of the Sindh and also for Pakistan as a whole. They are a part of the maritime Indian Ocean Silk Road heritage, and this project is encouraged and supported by the Pakistani Antiquities, UNESCO and ICOMOS.
