Hyderabad is a city located in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the second-largest city in Sindh and 8th largest in Pakistan. Founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of the Kalhora Dynasty, Hyderabad served as a provincial capital until the British transferred the capital to Karachi in 1843. The city was named in honour of Ali, the fourth caliph and cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. Hyderabad’s name translates literally as “Lion City” – from haydar, meaning “lion,” and ābād, which is a suffix indicating a settlement. “Lion” references Ali’s valour in battle, and so he is often referred to as Ali Haydar, roughly meaning “Ali the Lionheart,” by South Asian Muslims.
The city was initially founded on a limestone ridge on the eastern bank of the Indus River known as Ganjo Takkar, or “Bald Hill.” The limestone outcropping provided several scenic vistas in the city, as well as inclined routes. The most famous incline, the Tilak Incline, is named after the early 20th century independence activist Lokmanya Tilak.
Hyderabad’s local architectural patterns reflect the region’s harsh climate and local customs. Walls of most traditional-style buildings were made of mud bricks, which helped keep the structure cool in summer and warm in winter. Hyderabad is famed for its heat-relieving winds, and so homes also featured wind-catchers that directed cool breezes into each homes’ living quarters. Residential structures in Hyderabad’s Old City, and in Hirabad typically have a small inward facing courtyard that afforded privacy from the city’s streets. Walls facing the street are typically plain, though the home may display an elaborate entryway. Inner courtyards and doorways of more elaborate homes would be decorated with jharoka balconies, floral motifs, ornamented ceilings, and decorative arches. Most residential homes, however, were utilitarian in design.
Homes built during the British colonial period contain introduced architectural elements like balconies and decorative columns as part of an elaborate outward-facing façade. Such examples can be found in the Saddar neighborhood of Hyderabad. Large decorated windows were featured as part of Hyderabad’s colonial style in order to ventilate the building. Tall and multi-sectional windows with stained glass windows became a hallmark of Hyderabad’s colonial-era architecture. Homes of wealthy residents, especially among the city’s Bhaiband community, the presence of windows was a marker of status, and allowed wealthy Hindus to practice the custom of purdah. Balconies were sometimes affixed to the front of a building, and were typically made of wood or cast-iron. Such homes would also sometimes have painted facades.
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