'Show me the money!' I say.
Out comes a Russian note from 1904, a half-a-century old 10,00000 Lira note (Turkish currency), the most colourful 10,000 currency note I have ever seen from Uganda, and coins holding religious significance from the Khilafat period. A coin/currency collector, Nazir Memon's treasure trove had it all.
Nazir is an owner of more than 2000-year-old currency notes and coins from over 130 countries across the continents.
He never shares the actual worth of his ancestral treasure. Motivated to keep this inherited tradition alive and thriving, 54-year-old Nazir has invested over Rs50 lacs into this collection in his own lifetime.
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Nazir Memon's currency collection. |
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Nazir Memon's currency collection. |
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Nazir Memon's currency collection. |
Any guesses where he lives in Karachi?
Memon Goth, Malir.
Currently involved in the process of writing a book on this hobby/heritage in three languages (English, Urdu and Sindhi) and getting it reviewed from Italy, Nazir has plans to introduce his collection to the world in the near future.
We explored many such stories during our travels as part of the 'I Am Karachi Travelogues'. Many pictures representing the Malir district were also being exhibited in the 'I Am Karachi Museum' over the weekend at Alliance Francaise de Karachi near Teen Talwar, showcasing the skills and talents of the youth of Malir and also its rich heritage.
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The work of Malir youth displayed at the 'I Am Karachi' Museum. |
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The work of Malir youth displayed at the 'I Am Karachi' Museum. |
Having lived in Malir during the early years of my life, and currently working in a not-profit-organisation in the area, I often come across condescending remarks from the more affluent Karachiites about the district.
Not so long ago in the late 1990s, Malir was considered rural by Karachiites living in the more central areas of the city.
Its image has since altered with a growing lower and middle class settling in the suburbs and stretching the boundaries of this ever-expanding city.
However, the perception of a shoddy, unsophisticated Malir still lingers in the minds of Karachiites. Although Malir bustles with traffic at rush hours – signs of ‘civilisation’– most of it involves transporting workforce back and forth from the corporate offices on Sharah-e-Faisal, I.I Chundrigar and low-paid service sector jobs in the eastern and southern districts of the metropolis. Thus the impression remains.
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The work of Malir youth displayed at the 'I Am Karachi' Museum. |
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The work of Malir youth displayed at the 'I Am Karachi' Museum. |
I never agreed with this discriminatory attitude, but then I had never exactly explored the area and had no counterargument to offer.
I would travel across Pakistan and across continents, but knew nothing about my own city, my own workplace district.
Also see: Karachi's photographers unite to reveal the city's secret stories
The project of I Am Karachi Travelogues, The School of Writing and Institute of Advancing Careers and Talents (iACT) offered people like me an opportunity to explore the flip side of the area and reveal it to those living on the other side of the bridge.
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The work of Malir youth displayed at the 'I Am Karachi' Museum. |
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The work of Malir youth displayed at the 'I Am Karachi' Museum. |
Malir is the largest district in terms of area. It has historical sites like the Chaukhandi Tombs and Damloti Wells, And an ethnically and religiously diverse community — I visited the Reham Ilahi Church in Khokhrapar, Malir as part of the project, and experienced the potential of a youth just waiting to be guided — and it has the scenic Malir Lake which is an absolute treat to visit in the summer’s heat.
As Marcel Proust, a French novelist puts it, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
Malir, for me today, is as much Karachi as Gulshan and Defence. I see it in a different light and so will you, once you truly explore it.