Elphinstone Street, now known as Zaibunnisa Street, is one of Karachi's most renowned shopping districts. It is one of the city's most vital arteries, therefore, is subjected to a lot of pollution from transport. At one time, it was called Karachi's Piccadilly Circus by foreigners, as it is lined with historic colonial buildings from the British Raj era. Some important buildings on Elphinstone Street are: Nusserwanjee Building, Mohammad Ali Building, Old Ilaco House and Victoria Furnishing Mart. Amongst the usual hustle and bustle of Zaibunnissa Street, they stand silently as reminiscent of the bygone era. It was once considered the most fashionable streets, catering to the elite of the colonial times.
Elphinstone Street was the first street to be transformed into an imposing thoroughfare due to the efforts of the native mercantile community. It rapidly acquired impressive mercantile structures. Imperial-Vernacular architecture was reflected in most of the buildings here. In most of Karachi’s Imperial-Vernacular buildings, the Italianate style, which was considered to be the closest to the local architectural traditions, formed the basis. |
