Home | Mohammadi Park - The Promise of Sustainability

Introduction

Under the guidance of His Holiness Dr. Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS, the ‘Amatullah Aaisaheba Memorial Trust – Pakistan’ is launching an architectural design competition for Mohammedi Park, a modern, mixed-density gated housing scheme built from the ground up for the Dawoodi Bohra community. The 100-acre site is located in Malir, on Karachi’s rapidly developing eastern frontier.

This is not a profit-driven endeavor. The driving force behind this project is a response to His Holiness’s personal efforts and call for the upliftment of his followers and humankind at large. We define upliftment as an improvement which is not only financial, but spiritual, social, and physical. Thus, we believe upliftment can benefit the affluent, as well as those of modest means.

IMPETUS

It has been more than 50 years since the settlement of Shabbirabad in Gulshan Town, and Al-Mohallat-al-Burhaniyah in Hyderi, North Nazimabad. Both of these housing societies were originally envisioned in response to the need within the Dawoodi Bohra Community of Karachi to expand into planned societies which would offer members better standards of living than those of the increasingly congested old inner-city ‘mohallahs’ such as Sadar etc.

These newer mohallahs largely comprised of 400-1000 yd2 plots for single-family homes and, to a lesser extent, apartment buildings. Except for the Masjid complexes, almost no space was allocated for public use and recreation. Over time, many of the single-family units were torn down and replaced with multi-unit buildings and townhouses. Although plots were given exclusively to the Dawoodi Bohras to uphold their cultural identity, these mohallah’s had no physical boundaries delineating them. Subsequent expansion around the fringes resulted in intermingling with other communities, which has affected the mohallah’s sense of self-identity.

BACKGROUND

The Dawoodi Bohras are a sub-sect of Isma’ili Shia Islam. The word “bohra” is derived from the Gujarati word “vehvar”, or “trade”, in reference to the community’s traditional profession. The spiritual leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community is the Dai al Mutlaq, currently His Holiness Dr. Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS.

The current seat of the Dai has remained in Mumbai, India for over a century after transferring from various Indian cities including Amedabad, Jamnagar, Burhanpur, and Surat over the last 500 years. Before then, it lay in the mountain fortresses and cities of Yemen from the 12th century to the 16th century, where it originated during the glorious years of the Fatimid Empire which was centered in Egypt and spanned much of North Africa and the Arab world from 900 AD to 1200 AD.

Because of its roots, the Dawoodi Bohra culture is a unique one that harks back to many others, including Yemeni, Egyptian, African, and Indian. They have their own language called Lisan ud Dawat, derived from Arabic, Gujarati, Urdu, and Farsi.

CULTURE

For Dawoodi Bohras, religion and culture are essentially one and the same. The roots of their rich religious and cultural heritage stem from the teachings of Rasulullah SAW and Amirulmumineen Ali Ibn Abitalib SA. It can be said that the formalization of the culture started as far back as the rule of the Fatimid dynasty in Egypt. The glorious empire was governed by the Fatimid code of conduct, religious tolerance, and patronage of learning that gave rise to a preeminent culture which was rooted in religion. These social, cultural, and religious constructs developed further and evolved in Yemen and India and are exercised today by the Dawoodi Bohra community under the guidance of His Holiness Dr. Syedna Aali Qadr Mufaddal Saifuddin TUS. For Dawoodi Bohras today, there continues to be a rigorous Islamic-centered approach in all aspects of life.

This lifestyle has manifested itself, to various degrees, in the environs of Dawoodi Bohras the world over. Philosophically, as well as practically, the Dawoodi Bohra mohallah is a micro-community establishment defined by a complex of four sacred spaces.

CUSTOMS

Mohallah

Traditionally, Dawoodi Bohra homes have been concentrated around Masjid complexes. This phenomenon is, in part, due to convenience; but also because of the culture and inherent similarities of lifestyle all Bohras share. Thus, “mohallahs”, or neighborhoods are formed. Consideration should be given to both these aspects during the design of the layout in the master-plan.

Style of the Masjid Complex

Masjid complexes, which include the Masjid, jamaatkhana, madrasa, and jamaat administration offices, are by and large designed in “Fatimid” and “neo-Fatimid” style.

Vision

From surveying various housing societies in Karachi, as well as those of the Dawoodi Bohra community, we have observed some desirable qualities we will incorporate, as well as a myriad of undesirable ones that will be avoided. According to our vision, the following are a few critical elements that the design of this project will adhere to: