| Karachi Harbour | |
|---|---|
 A view of the harbour with thePort of Karachi visible | |
 | |
  Karachi Harbour | |
| Location | Karachi,Pakistan |
| Coordinates | 24°48′55.2″N66°58′08.4″E / 24.815333°N 66.969000°E /24.815333; 66.969000 |
| River sources | Lyari River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Arabian Sea |
| Basin countries | Pakistan |
| Islands | Baba and Bhit Islands |
| Settlements | Baba and Bhit villages Karachi Kakapir Manora Shamspir |
Karachi Harbour is a narrowbay and riverestuary located west of theIndus River Delta inKarachi,Pakistan. The harbour lies between theLyari River delta andChinna Creek to the north, and theArabian Sea to the south. Since 1886,[1] sections of the harbour have been improved to form thePort of Karachi - Pakistan's busiest seaport.[2]
The harbour is divided into an Upper and Lower Harbour, which together have a length of 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi).[1] The Upper Harbour has been developed into thePort of Karachi, and is located between the East and West Wharfs of the port,[3] where it then goes on eastward to form a series of backwaters with thickmangrove forests known asChinna Creek. Along the western edge of the West Wharf is a small local fishing harbour known as theKarachi Fish Harbour, built in 1958,[1] and the delta of theLyari River. The Lower Harbour, also known asBaba Channel, stretches fromManora andKeamari to the port,[3] and serves as a shipping channel between the port and theArabian Sea.
Nearchus, who commandedAlexander the Great's naval fleet, mentioned a hilly island by the name ofMorontobara and an adjacent flat island namedBibakta, which colonial historians identified as Karachi'sManora andKeamari (orClifton), respectively, based on Greek descriptions.[4][5][6] Both areas were island until well into the colonial era, when silting in led to them being connected to the mainland.[7]
In 711 CE,Muhammad bin Qasim conquered theSindh and Indus Valley and the port ofDebal, from where he launched his forces further into the Indus Valley in 712.[8] Some have identified the port with Karachi, though some argue the location was somewhere between Karachi and the nearby city ofThatta.[9][10]
UnderMirza Ghazi Beg, theMughal administrator of Sindh, the development of coastal Sindh and theIndus River Delta was encouraged. Under his rule, fortifications in the region acted as a bulwark againstPortuguese incursions intoSindh. Karachi is also mentioned in the sixteenth centuryTurkish treatiseMir'ât ül Memâlik (Mirror of Countries, 1557) by theOttoman captainSeydi Ali Reis, which warns sailors about whirlpools and advises them to seek safety in "Kaurashi" harbour if they found themselves drifting dangerously.[11][12][13]
In 1728 heavy rains silted up the harbour atKharak, forcing merchants to relocate to the area of modern Karachi. 19th-century Karachi historianSeth Naomal Hotchand recorded that a small settlement of 20–25 huts existed along the Karachi Harbour that was known asDibro, which was situated along a pool of water known asKolachi-jo-Kun.[14] In 1725, a band ofBalochi settlers fromMakran andKalat had settled in the hamlet after fleeing droughts and tribal feuds.[15] A new settlement was built in 1729 at the site ofDibro, which came to be known asKolachi-jo-Goth ("The village ofKolachi"),[16] which grew into the modern city. The gate facing the sea was called "Kharadar" (salt gate), and the gate facing the Lyari River[17] was called "Mithadar" (sweet gate). From 1729 to 1783 the strategic location of Kolachi saw the town change hands several times between theKhans ofKalat and the rulers of Sind. In 1783, after two prolonged sieges the town fell to theTalpur Mirs of Sind, who constructed a fort mounted with cannons onManora island at the harbour entrance.[18]
TheBritish East India Company captured Karachi on 3 February 1839 afterHMS Wellesley opened fire and quickly destroyedManora Fort, which guarded Karachi Harbour atManora Point.[19] Karachi was recognized for its strategic importance, prompting the British to establish thePort of Karachi in 1854. Karachi rapidly became a transportation hub for British India, owing to the newly built port and rail infrastructure, as well as the increase in agricultural exports from the opening of productive tracts of newly irrigated land inPunjab and interior Sindh.[20] At the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War, Karachi Harbour became an important cotton-exporting port,[21] withIndus Steam Flotilla andOrient Inland Steam Navigation Company established to transport cotton from interior Sindh to the harbour, and onwards to textile mills in England.[22]
With the completion of theSuez Canal in 1869, Karachi's position as a major port increased even further.[21] In 1878, the British Raj connected Karachi with the network ofBritish India's vast railway system. In 1887, Karachi Port underwent radical improvements with connection to the railways, along with expansion and dredging of the port, and construction of a breakwater.[21]
Baba and Bhit are two small and densely populated islands located in theKarachi Harbor, nearKarachi.[23] The approximate area of the islands is 4 km² and the population is about 25,000.[citation needed] The islands are connected to Karachi via a ferry service toKeamari.[24]
Kakapir is afishing village in Karachi Harbour, 15 kilometers west ofKarachi.[25] It is located at the western end ofSandspit Beach, nearHawke's Bay Beach.Mauripur lies to its north. Kakapir is named for a saint, whose shrine is located in the village, who reportedly was known for his brown hair.[26] The village is reportedly about 100 years old.[25] Residents of the village were originally from theMithadar andKharadar neighborhoods of Karachi, which were settled by the British inShams Pir during the construction of thePort of Karachi.[26] Those residents migrated further west and established Kakapir.[26]
Manora is a small peninsula that forms a protective barrier between Karachi Harbour to the north and theArabian Sea to the south. Manora is a military town with a population of 4,273 (per the 2017 census).[27] was formerly an island, but due to silting is now connected to the mainland by a 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long natural sandbridge known asSandspit. The entrance to Karachi was once guarded against pirate raids by theManora Fort built in the 1790s, which was later upgraded by the British, and then thePakistan Navy.
Shamspir is anisland village nearKarachi,Pakistan, along the western end of Karachi Harbour, close toSandspit Beach andKakapir.[28] The village is bordered by thickMangrove forests which grow in the harbor.[29]
