by Ms Tasneem Ahmad (and also some material online)
Sethi 'Mohallah' is a street or neighborhood in the heart of the old walled city of Peshawar, Pakistan. The Mohallah contains seven houses (including main Sethi House a cultural heritage building) built by the Sethis. These unique houses are a blend of the art and architecture of Gandhara and Central Asia, are rare architectural masterpieces located in the walled city.The first was built by Haji Ahmed Gul Sethi in 1882.
The Sethis were traders/businessmen who had businesses in China, India, Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia, with trade centres at Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand and other cities in the Asian region.
The downfall of the Sethis began during the Russian Revolution in 1917, when their businesses experienced setbacks from which they never recovered, forcing them to leave Central Asia and return to Peshawar.
The Sethi homes in Peshawar were designed with inspiration from the vernacular architecture of Bukhara. Two neatly decorated tehkhanas (basement rooms), a balakhana (upper storey), dalaans (big halls), chinikhanas (rooms where decoration and art pieces are displayed on chimneypieces) and fountains can be found in each house. The ceilings are painted and the walls are decorated with mirror work. One of the houses has been purchased by the NWFP Government, this house has two portions, one for men and one for women. The overall structure is a combination of brick and woodwork embellished with carved wooden doors and balconies. Painted and mirrored atriums provide fresh air and attractive views, while the main entrances are made of superbly carved wood.
It has 12 rooms and four basements and includes a fountain. Colourful glass ceilings with geometrical designs, woodwork with engravings of various splendid designs on walls, a big resting place, made of wood and called Takht-e-Sulaimani, to take sunshine in winter, beautiful ventilators, slanting window-shades, wooden wall cupboards, chimneys and red bricks stairs with projected wooden frames are some of the prominent features of the house.
View, Sethi street/mohallah, Peshawar old city
Sethi 'Mohallah' is a street or neighborhood in the heart of the old walled city of Peshawar, Pakistan. The Mohallah contains seven houses (including main Sethi House a cultural heritage building) built by the Sethis. These unique houses are a blend of the art and architecture of Gandhara and Central Asia, are rare architectural masterpieces located in the walled city.The first was built by Haji Ahmed Gul Sethi in 1882.
The Sethis were traders/businessmen who had businesses in China, India, Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia, with trade centres at Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, Tashkent, Bukhara, Samarkand and other cities in the Asian region.
The downfall of the Sethis began during the Russian Revolution in 1917, when their businesses experienced setbacks from which they never recovered, forcing them to leave Central Asia and return to Peshawar.
The Sethi homes in Peshawar were designed with inspiration from the vernacular architecture of Bukhara. Two neatly decorated tehkhanas (basement rooms), a balakhana (upper storey), dalaans (big halls), chinikhanas (rooms where decoration and art pieces are displayed on chimneypieces) and fountains can be found in each house. The ceilings are painted and the walls are decorated with mirror work. One of the houses has been purchased by the NWFP Government, this house has two portions, one for men and one for women. The overall structure is a combination of brick and woodwork embellished with carved wooden doors and balconies. Painted and mirrored atriums provide fresh air and attractive views, while the main entrances are made of superbly carved wood.
It has 12 rooms and four basements and includes a fountain. Colourful glass ceilings with geometrical designs, woodwork with engravings of various splendid designs on walls, a big resting place, made of wood and called Takht-e-Sulaimani, to take sunshine in winter, beautiful ventilators, slanting window-shades, wooden wall cupboards, chimneys and red bricks stairs with projected wooden frames are some of the prominent features of the house.
View, Sethi street/mohallah, Peshawar old city
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a constructive comment, which will be only posted after approval of admins.