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The Heritage Museum presents the journey of Pakistani culture through the ages

The Heritage Museum presents the journey of Pakistani culture through the ages

Located in Islamabad, this ethnologicial museum covers an area of 60,000 feet.
26 Jun, 2016

Nestled within the woods of Shakarparian, the Heritage Museum presents the living cultural traditions and lifestyles of the people of Pakistan, from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea.

This museum was set up on Garden Avenue by Lok Virsa. It was originally created as the Folk Art Museum in 1981, and then renovated and expanded into an ethnological museum in 2004. It now covers an area of 60,000 square feet.

From the civilisation of Mohenjodaro and Harappa to present day Pakistan, the cultural history of what was once known as the crossroads of Asia is on display at the museum.

Heer and Ranjha, the characters from a folk tale from Jhang, Punjab by Waris Shah
Heer and Ranjha, the characters from a folk tale from Jhang, Punjab by Waris Shah

The changes in lifestyle in the region are clear in various exhibits that range from Alexander the Great, Ashoka the Great, the Aryans, Buddha, Mohammad bin Qasim, Babar, Nadir Shah and the East India Company.

The galleries also present the life of average citizens in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the Kalash Valley. From war equipment to musical instruments, jewellery to utensils, fabric-making to embroidery, shoe making and rock carving, the galleries depict the various aspects of Pakistan’s cultural heritage.

Traditional coloured vases from Punjab (L), Folk musical instruments ektara and others at the Hall of Musical Heritage (R)
Traditional coloured vases from Punjab (L), Folk musical instruments ektara and others at the Hall of Musical Heritage (R)

Folk tales, like KP’s Adam Khan-Durkhane, Dhola-Maru from Sindh, Hani-Shah Murad from Balochistan and Heer Ranjha from Punjab are also represented, with replicas of the characters.

The main displays include the Hall of Antiquity and Continuity, the Hall of Textiles, the Hall of Sufis and Shrines, the Hall of Ballads and Romans, the Hall of Architecture, the Hall of Musical Heritage, and Future Vision. The culture of each province and region is exhibited.

Statues of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana Liaqat Ali
Statues of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana Liaqat Ali

Other galleries feature crafts such as truck art, pottery, weaving, block printing, stone carving, the Mughal art of carving marble, and Gandhara technique of sculpting rough stone into statues of Buddha.

In addition to preserving the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan, the museum also displays the cultures of various other countries that share affinities and influences with Pakistani culture.

A statue of Buddha. This gallery also features the arrival of Alexander the Great and a Mughal court scene (L), The art of coin-making (R) —Photos by Tanveer Shahzad
A statue of Buddha. This gallery also features the arrival of Alexander the Great and a Mughal court scene (L), The art of coin-making (R) —Photos by Tanveer Shahzad

“[The museum is] is very lively and attracts visitors to its displays. It is the first museum of ethnology established by the government to promote and project the country’s cultural heritage,” Dr Fouzia Saeed, the Lok Virsa executive director, told Dawn.

She said the current focus of the museum is the mobilisation of youth. “For this purpose, Friday is ‘Students Day’, and students are encouraged to visit the museum and ask questions about the various aspects of Pakistan’s traditional culture,” she said.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2016

Comments

Kamaal Jun 26, 2016 10:58am
Surprised to see the mention of Ashoka and Buddhism. We thought in Pakistan history starts from creation of pakistan i.e. 1947 only.
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secular peshawarite Jun 26, 2016 01:10pm
Maddam taussads of Pakistan.
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Krishna Jun 26, 2016 02:02pm
Am happy that this museum is helping us remember Ashoka the Great, the Aryans, Buddha, Mohenjodaro, Harappa etc; Let us accept the fact that India alone cannot claim the credit for these. This is the heritage of the two countries - India and Pakistan. And, let us be proud of this. Let us remember the glorious days and move head in the spirit of brotherhood for a prosperous future.
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AHA Jun 26, 2016 02:57pm
Unfortunately after independence we forcefully made to believe as we are Arabs and everything like clothes, food, behaviour changed. No burqa or veil was use earlier, now its mad default. This is cultural rape. We have great music culture which is fast disappearing in the name of religion compliance.
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rukhsar Jun 26, 2016 03:08pm
amazing
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Zak Jun 26, 2016 04:36pm
Excellent, excellent, excellent.
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Jaikar Rao Jun 26, 2016 06:36pm
Wonderful ! Really wonderful !! The statues are so life like.Better than Tussauds.
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Raja Farhat Abbas Jun 26, 2016 09:52pm
@Kamaal No its not ''we thought'' its, you thought history of Pakistan started in 1947 due to ignorance.
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Khan Saab Jun 27, 2016 02:29am
Beautiful Art work !
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minni Jun 27, 2016 10:11am
@Kamaal The Pakistan history start from arrival of Mohd Bin Quasim.
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Junaid Jun 27, 2016 11:01am
@Kamaal For one, we have Hindus and Buddhists living in Pakistan too and secondly, the political boundary was drawn in 1947, the people have been living here for centuries, so the culture is centuries old. It is the culture of the people living on this land!
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