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TDF Ghar

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TDF Ghar

The TDF Ghar (House in Urdu) is an informal learning space situated in Karachi, Pakistan. The residential building was constructed in the 1930s and has been restored as a living museum. The Dawood Foundation (TDF) has retained the heritage architectural features of the house to preserve the living style of the past residents of cosmopolitan Karachi.

The House was originally constructed in the 1930s under an almond tree with hand-crafted tiles. It belonged to a Hindu woman, Haribai Motiram, who later sold it to the Dawood family's ancestors.

The house is situated in the East-Karachi neighborhood Jamshed Quarters and is accessible through Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road. Jamshed Quarters was envisioned by then-Mayor and philanthropist Jamshed Nusserwanjee Mehta as a home for the growing middle class of Karachi. It was home to multiple ethnicities and people of different faith, like Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Parsis, and Jews.

The Dawood Foundation restored the building from 2016 onwards and TDF Ghar was open to public as of August 2017.

TDF Ghar is an informal learning space for the citizens of Karachi to gather and exchange. The house retains its heritage features but has been transformed into a public space. With its unique mix of a museum and cultural programme, it also attracts tourists. It reflects upon Karachi's past, the mix of cultures that it presented, and the kinds of lives that people lived during pre-independence time. The three 'Numaish Halls' and a training room in the building's first floor can be utilised for organising workshops, training, seminars, exhibitions, and other activities.

TDF Ghar's 'Living Room' has been restored with original fixtures and is being used as a museum for historical collections. The tiles used in the living room are handmade and were made in the Jamshed Nusserwanji factory.

'The Living Room' also has antique pieces and furniture such as vintage chess sets, a glass cupboard with fine china, an original silica treadle sewing machine, gramophone, radio, telephone, typewriter, and lamps, from as early as the 1930s. The European style sofas, Parsi furniture, Anglo-Indian vanity dressing table, and Irani chairs, present a mixture of different cultures and portray the ethnic inclusive nature of Karachi.

Three Numaish (Exhibition in Urdu) Halls on the upper floor of TDF Ghar act as empty multi-purpose spaces. Art exhibitions, talks, film screenings, performances, large meetings, and workshops are taking place there.

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