Set on a large estate of approximately 12000 square yards, the imposing building known as the Mohatta Palace was built in 1927 as the seaside home of Rai Bahadur Seth Shivratan Mohatta, a rich Marwari businessman in Karachi. Built in a Mughal revival style with a combination of locally available yellow Gizri stone and the striking pink Jodhpur stone, the architect commissioned for the palace, Ahmed Hussein Agha, one of the first Muslim architects of India, sought to recreate here the Anglo Mughal palaces of the Rajput princes. Its distinct style of construction is a combination of domes, spandrels, balustrades, louvered shutters and railings.

The building is well known to the residents of the city, not simply due to its arresting character and distinct and unusual colour, but also because of the loving association with one of its previous residents, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, sister to Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto supported the setting up of a museum of the arts of Pakistan in the palace and it was formally purchased for the Mohatta Palace Museum Trust in 1995. Out of use for over a decade, the building was in need of major restoration work, which involved cleaning, repairs and major internal and external renovations. The first two phases of the restoration program were successfully completed in August 1999 and the Museum opened its doors to the public on 15th September 1999. It is currently showcasing its 18th exhibition, and has a robust collection of rare textiles and art to its credit.

For more information about the Museum and its ongoing activities, please visit
www.mohattapalacemuseum.com, or email us at mohattapalacemuseum@yahoo.com