Karachi is a city that has a large variety of places to go and things to do. In every part of the city there is some club or organization. No matter where you are, you can be guaranteed a good time.
The city is vast in area. You can expect to see a large variety of modern and Colonial architecture. Though there are very few tall buildings in Karachi but the modern architecture is matured and highly sophisticated. There are many beautiful mosques, Mausoleums, Churches and Libraries here. Bazaars of this city are the most attractive. There are typical oriental style of bazaars with colours and narrow streets and also are the modern shopping centres offering a vast variety of goods. One of the major tourist attraction is the busses and trucks of Karachi they are seen everywhere and present a whole art gallery of colours in them. The national museum of Pakistan is the most prestigious museums in Pakistan housing the artefacts from the old civilizations and the modern Pakistan movements relics.
Because it is relatively new, the city of Karachi is not rich in ancient monuments and shrines. It is here, however, that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad ali Jinnah (the Founder of Pakistan) is laid to rest, and his mausoleum is regarded as an outstanding example of modern Islamic architecture. The Defence Housing Society Mosque with a dome is claimed to be the largest of its kind in the world. The Holy Trinity Cathedral and St. Andrew's Church are examples of Anglo-Indian architecture.
Karachi's cloth bazaar is in fact an excellent place to sample for the first time the intoxicating atmosphere of this great city. Here amidst the food-and drink-stalls that seem to congregate wherever goods are bought and sold, merchants from all over Pakistan are to be found engaged in the serious business of making money.
Karachi is the centre of education and other cultural and social activities. A great number of prestigious educational institutions are functioning here. It is an ultra-modern city, with most modern cinemas, recreational clubs, hotels and restaurants . Of course, Karachi is a fine holiday resort in its own right and many visitors to Pakistan never venture out of its boundaries. The city enjoys year-round sunshine and has extensive facilities for yachting, water-skiing, sailing, skin-diving, tennis, squash, cricket, hockey and other games and sports. There are also a number of white-sand beaches lapped by the warm waters of the Arabian Sea. These places are excellent picnic resorts with their tranquil surroundings and provide an atmosphere to rest and relax.
Karachi's charm is hard to define. At one level it is a harsh mercantile city with all the brash, skin-deep self-assurance of the "nouveau riche"; at another level its complex, colourful bazaars bespeak an ancient oriental tradition of barter and exchange; at still another level it is the most advanced city in Pakistan, boasting advanced educational institutions, a nuclear power-station and sophisticated banking and technical skills.
Karachi is home to some of Pakistan's important cultural institutions. The National Academy of Performing Arts, located in the newly renovated Hindu Gymkhana offers a two year diploma course in performing arts that include classical music and contemporary theatre. The All Pakistan Musical Conference, linked to the 45-year old similar institution in Lahore, has been holding its Annual Music Festival since its inception in 2004. The Festival is now a well-established feature of the city life of Karachi that is awaited anxiously and attended by more than 3000 citizens of Karachi as well as people from other cities.
The National Arts Council (Koocha-e-Saqafat) also has musical performances and Mushaira (poetry recitations). Karachi has a few museums including the Mohatta Palace Museum that regularly has exhibitions as well as the National Museum of Pakistan. The Kara Film Festival organized annually showcases independent Pakistani and international films and documentaries.
The everyday lifestyle of Karachi differs substantially from that of other Pakistani towns. The culture of Karachi is characterized by the blending of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Western influences, as well as the status of the city as a major international business centre. As a whole, there is considerable diversity in culture, and this diversity has produced unique cultural amalgam of its own type. Karachi also hosts the largest middle class stratum of the country.
