Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi

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The mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Dec 25 1876- Sep 11 1948) was build several years after his death, and is centrally located in the city of Karachi on top of a small hill. Before the advent of modernization (construction of high rises), the Mazar could have been seen from anywhere in Karachi.

The Mazar is surrounded by trees, and a garden laid in the format of Islamic art, with fountains all around it. You have to climb several steps to reach the top (shoes have to be removed before ascending), and the tomb is inside the Mazar. The actual grave is several meters below the marble tomb.

After every 20 minutes there is a ceremonial position shift of the honor guard, and every 4 hours changing of the guard. This is a must see if you are into military formalities.

There are also graves of Jinnah’s sister, Fatima Jinnah as well as first prime minister Liaqat Ali Khan (who was assassinated) and his wife, along with other dignitaries linked to the freedom movement.

In addition to the tombs, you can also see a small museum housing various artifacts used by Jinnah such as cars, dinning sets, bedroom furniture, swords and guns from is private collection etc.

Entrance fee:
Mazar: Rs 3/ for adults; Rs. 1/- for children (2-6 years old)
Museum: Rs 3/ for adults; Rs. 1/- for children (2-6 years old)

If you want to know more about Jinnah, a good biography you must read is "Jinnah of Pakistan" by Stanley Wolpert.

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The Mazar-e-Quaid was built in honour of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He was an Indian-Muslim politician & the leader of the "All India Muslim League" who went on to found Pakistan & served as its first Governor General. The Pakistani people lovingly refer to him as "Quaid-e-Azam" (Great Leader). In the 1940s Jinnah suffered from tuberculosis and on 11th September 1948 he finally succumbed to the disease & also lunge cancer.

This masterpiece of white marble was completed in the 1960s & is located in the centre of the city ontop of a small hill, surrounded by well-pruned & lush gardens. It's a very calm & tranquil place that we indeed didn't expect to find in the middle of such a hectic & noisy city. There were families having picnics & couples going for a walk.

Enter the hall that is guarded at all times & feel the understated serenity & quiet admiration of Pakistan's people. The coffin is surrounded by a fence and his actual grave is a few meters below ground. The graves of his sister & also the 1st Prime Minister of Pakistan (Liaqat Ali Khan) are nearby. Unfortunately we missed the ceremonial changing of the guards as we were in a hurry, but if you have some time I definitely recommend spending about an hour here.
Quote:
"No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within 4 walls as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable condition our women have to live in."

This sounds like an interesting chap... I would've liked to have a cup of tea with him sometime...

NOTE: There are many stray dogs in the surrounding gardens that seem to reside there quite peacefully. If you wish to feed them, do so by all means. But as they are strays you can never anticipate their behaviour or if they are healthy, don't try to feed them by hand.

I visited this wonderful place, that is just in the middle of the city, is enourmous and so spectacular that evry time I passed it by with my taxi, I felt really moved by the majesty of the mausoleum.
recommended to visit it....

quaid e azam was the supposed great thinker behind the creation of Pakistan ,here he is loved very much but the intelligent thinker amongst us question why India was seperated after all 200 million muslims live in India today and both countries have suffered because of it anyway heres the "great" mans tomb.Before you start e mailing me with abuse we are all entitled to our opinions Pakistan is a great country its very obvious i love the place but it has many many faults some of which started with the decisions that Jinnah made...off the soapbox now.

This white marble Mausoleum with its curved Moorish arches and copper grills resets on an elevated 54 sq. meters platform. The cool inner sanctum reflects the green of a four-tiered crystal chandelier gifted by the peoples Republic of China. The memorial slab framed with silver rallings dawas people from far and wide who come to pay their respects to the father of the Nation and to watch the impressive changing of guards
cermony that takes place everyday. Today the Quaid-e-Azam's Mausoleum is a prominent and impressive landmark of Karachi. Nearby are the graves of the “Quaid-e-Millat”. Liaqat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Quaid's sister, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah.

A few years back this place wasn't a good place to visit as it was neglected but the one and only Musharraf took it upon himself to reconstruct the whole area again. Today it is probably the most beautiful part of Karachi; lots of open space and many people. Plus there is the changing of the guard every hour which is a must see as well. If your going to Karachi this is a must; plus you'll get some good views of the condos going up in Clifton.

MAZAR-E-QUAID
(Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah)
Built entirely of white marble,,QUAID-I-AZAM
MUHAMMAD ALI JINNAH
THE FOUNDER OF the NATION
We Are Pakistanis First
QUAID-I-AZAM said,
'We are Muslims believe in one Allah, one Prophet (peace be upon him) and one Quran. So it is also essential for us to be one nation because strength lies in unity. *PAKISTAN* will break into pieces if we consider ourselves as Punjabis, Sindhis, etc. first and then Muslims and Pakistanis. We all are now Pakistanis, not Balochis, not Pathans, not Sindhis, not Punjabis.'
'Whatever we feel or do should be only as Pakistanis. Everybody should love his village, his town and his city and should work hard for its development. However, it is more important to love our country than our city or town. We should work much harder for the sake of our country.'!!!!

We took some family here to visit. It was a nice monument and nice place to see. Very well kept up.