What do we see when we walk down the main streets of Empress Market? One of the oldest standing structures in Karachi, surrounded by a plethora of buses and carts, drowning in the noise of blaring horns and smoke.  Neglected, but once spectacular, Empress Market is a stunning reminder of Victorian architecture; a monument that needs to be nurtured and cared for.

Broken walls of dilapidated ruins tugged at the strings of my heart as I weaved my way through the busy streets of Empress Market. The entire road was dotted with gorgeous yellow-brick pieces of art, crying out to be loved and nurtured. I gazed at them quietly and tried to absorb the beauty that stood still amidst smoke, dust and a plethora of carts and buses. I looked around trying to figure out what had led man to become so oblivious to the breathtaking beauty that lies in the very centre of the city of lights. I wondered why we have become immune to the simple pleasures in life; not being able to enjoy the gifts that have been bestowed upon us. When did we become so ignorant that we could not understand the need to introduce our children to the silent monuments surrounding us? How could we be so ungrateful that we stopped treasuring the assets, the remarkable legacies; many of them now just a ghost town.

When I begun, I had no experience in this area; just a passion for historical architecture and the lost craftsmanship, the desire to preserve the treasures and a promise to myself that one day I will enable people to see the beauty that I see and find happiness and joy right here, at home…

I took a quick round of the area that included the main market, the clock tower as well as some adjoining buildings. While roaming around the area with my inefficient camera, my small notebook and big dreams, I also happened to notice the Fire Brigade building. I was astounded… I wasn’t prepared for this. Here I was exploring old buildings, some of which were occupied and some not; while my Pakistani fire fighters were operating from the ruins of a building. I felt ashamed of myself; I felt ashamed that I  thought I was so patriotic; I felt ashamed that I took so many things for granted in life; I felt ashamed that somehow I had never noticed this particular building. How could I have missed it? And I call myself a sensitive art lover and philanthropist? I felt I could not face myself. I thought of all those unfortunate events when I showed concern over the random fires that would break out; the one in Paper Market two years back when I kept grieving over one of my favourite haunts and for the people whose livelihood depended on the small shops scattered around the area; or the one in CTC, a local market in Clifton area where some shoppers trapped in the upper floors were bravely rescued by the fire fighters; the one ablaze in Empress Market in March 2011 when more than a hundred shops were affected. I chided myself for not once thinking of the people who risk their lives to perform their duties and put out the fires. I realized that this was just one branch office of the Fire Brigade; and it was just a coincidence that I noticed it because it was situated in Empress Market. I vowed to add this building to the list and see what could be done to restore it, not just for aesthetic value but also to provide a comfortable area for the fire fighters to operate from.
 
My mind was filled with dreams of beautiful gothic style buildings of the colonial era restored to their original glory and my heart was filled with hopes of being able to appeal to the senses of everyone whose contributions we needed in the process. I set out again with nothing but determination, passion and a desire to “extract beyond the obvious”. On my way I passed by the well-preserved Frere Hall; it brought a smile to my face. For some odd reason the majestic building and the lush grounds surrounding it made me think of the captivating architecture of the Empress Market buildings. Here we have a historical monument, right in the centre of our city, which once bragged of being the biggest market here yet we have not been able to preserve it. With careful assessment and evaluation of the market area and the issues that it faces, Empress Market can be restored to its former glory, provided, all the relevant bodies involved work together to do so.