Pakistan Maritime Museum
Located in Karachi, Maritime Museum is a Pakistan Naval Heritage site. The museum has a collection of over 200 artifacts, including models of ships, boats, and submarines. It is a worthwhile and exciting location to see. It gives you goosebumps if you love your country and makes you feel brave to see how Pakistan’s navy has supported the nation since its creation. As most museums are typically tedious for children, the Pakistan navy has taken care to make this museum interesting for them. If you ever find yourself in Karachi, bring your family to this museum for an exciting and informative experience.
History of Maritime Museum
Pakistan Navy started construction on Maritime Museum in 1993. The main aim is to spread awareness of Pakistan’s maritime heritage and history among the general public and foreign visitors. Construction finished in 1997 and was accessible to the general public the same year. The 28-acre park contains the main building of the museum. Pakistan Navy runs Maritime Museum.
Attractions Offered by Pakistan Maritime Museum
It is a two-story museum with a gigantic ship in the basement and a blue whale skeleton on the first floor. There are two submarines in the park. You can see the airplane when you’re finished with that, but you have to pay 10 rupees for each ticket. You can choose a seat inside the aircraft and see a brief documentary. Museum also holds a Dolphin Show every year. There is a tonne of stuff there to take pictures. It is one of the most well-known museums in Pakistan.
Galleries
Maritime Museum Karachi has eight galleries and nine displays where beautiful artifacts related to naval heritage are present. So Let’s dive into galleries, having the most extensive exhibits to learn more about the museum.
Orientation Gallery
The Pakistan Maritime Museum’s first gallery assists visitors in understanding the indoor exhibits’ guide map. The gallery’s main decorative feature is a large mural depicting the Pakistan Navy as a four-dimensional force, including a surface, subsurface, aircraft, and marine army. On the right and left, respectively, are the Naval Jack and Naval Ensign. Participants’ flags from the AMAN Exercises are also on display.
Maritime History Gallery
The museum’s second floor includes a large Maritime History Gallery, highlighting significant historical seafaring events. The metallic armors, discovered recently off the coast of Ormara during dredging, is the fascinating artifact in the Maritime History Gallery. It first appeared during the 8th century, when Mohammed Bin Qasim’s forces traversed this area. The gallery also displays Moenjodaro’s river system trade, a mural painting of Bin Qasim’s attack on Deybal, the Ancient Trade Road network, early Muslim navigational equipment, maps, and compact illustrations.
Pakistan Navy Gallery
This gallery showcases the Pakistan Navy’s accomplishments in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. A sizable relief mural in stone shows the triumphant fleet returning after a devastating bombardment of the Indian coast at Dwarka. The expeditions that resulted in establishing the Pakistani research station on Antarctica, known as Jinnah Antarctic Station, are commemorated in a small section of this gallery. If you decide to travel to Antarctica for an adventurous gateway off the beaten path, you can see the station yourself. Two computer systems are also available for accessing CD-ROMs containing global naval information.
Former Chiefs of Pakistan Navy Gallery
This gallery at the Pakistan Maritime Museum features personal items, uniforms, and images of the former commanders of the naval forces. This gallery has a section devoted to “The Quaid and The Navy,” where you can see the dishes that Quaid-e-Azam used at PNS Dilawar in 1948 and letters he exchanged with President Ayub Khan. There are also other artifacts on display here that illustrate Quaid’s prolonged affiliation with the navy.
Karachi Harbour Gallery
The graphs, charts, and maps in Karachi Harbour Gallery are related explicitly to Karachi Port. One wall displays the changes made to the harbor over time. You can see a depiction of Manora on another wall to get a sense of how the fort and lighthouse looked in their heyday. Even today, you can take a fishing trip to Manora and see the lighthouse.
Shuhada Gallery
The Shuhada Gallery displays the names, pictures, and personal belongings of the Pakistan Navy heroes who gave their lives in service to the nation’s defense.
Aquarium Gallery
On the museum’s second floor, Aquarium Gallery gives visitors a clear understanding of the different coral and marine life species from the ocean’s surface to the continental shelf and down to the deep sea. Twelve other smaller aquariums are also on display, each housing a different fish specie. The experience is colorful for the visitors and incredibly educational about marine life. Young and enthusiastic scholars have access to a computer that programs to collect information on marine life.
Science Gallery
The scientific gallery is the museum’s eighth and final gallery and has much space. The exhibits in this gallery appeal to the student’s desire to learn scientific information through working models of various appliances based on complicated scientific principles. Due to the interactive exhibits, it is a fantastic location to take children.
Open Air Museum
The open-air area of the museum has ample space. Pakistan Maritime Museum Karachi has created this open-air exhibition for leisure, relaxation, and entertainment via public interaction. The museum constructed a large lake in the open-air exhibition area to create a sea atmosphere. This open-air exhibition includes:
Navy Ship
The Baghochan is on permanent display, a traditional naval ship, preserving the rapidly disappearing tradition of manual shipbuilding. Rare artisans used just six tools to construct the boat in the museum’s open-air exhibition. The lake offers guests several platforms that hang over the water where they can unwind and take in the tranquility of the lake.
Plane
UQAB UAV II, a locally produced drone in service of the Pakistan navy, is also on display along with Atlantic & Lynx aircraft.
Submarines
Exhibits in the lake like the ex-PNS MUJAHID minesweeper ship, ex-PNS/M HANGOR historic submarine, ex-CNS barge, and ex-CNS midget submarine add to its grace. The life-size section of a Daphne submarine that the Submarine Mock-Up simulates is the Operation Room. By restoring historical events like the sinking of the Indian Navy Ship Khukri, visitors can experience a simulation of a real-world surface target engagement procedure. Due to this simulator device, the public can also interact with animated equipment like a periscope, sonar, and radio.
Tanks and canon
Other prominent outdoor displays are old tanks, cannons, guns, cruise missiles, honoring guns, radars, and anchors. The Coffin carriers for Quaid-e-Azam and Liaquat Ali Khan, etc., are also shown in this section.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is designed on the museum’s premises, imitating the famous Manora Lighthouse. Manora Light House is the fourth tallest Lighthouse in Pakistan, located in Manora, Karachi, on the Arabian Sea. It provides a navigation source for the ships arriving at the Port of Karachi. Visitors can climb up the replica of the Manora Lighthouse in the museum and can have a panoramic view of the entire breathtaking infrastructure of the Maritime Museum. A painting of Manora Lighthouse in the Karachi Harbour Gallery attracts the attention of every spectator.
Lush Green Gardens
One of the major attractions of the Maritime Museum is lush green gardens/lawns, which are well-manicured and beautifully maintained to catch the attraction of the visitors. A fountain displayed in the vast garden increases the beauty of the museum’s facade. Sitting arrangement is provided on the lawns so the visitors can enjoy quality time. The replica of Manora Lighthouse, an Atlantic aircraft, vintage guns, and torpedoes increase the beauty of the Lawns.
Auditorium
Pakistan Maritime Museum is offering another facility in the form of a spacious auditorium. This Auditorium can accumulate up to 60 individuals. The Auditorium is for conducting all the fun activities, including performances, seminars, educational lectures, and documentaries. It offers uninterrupted audio-visual technology with projectors, speakers, and customizable lightning.
Handicraft Shops
The museum features exclusive shops on the right side of the main building. A wide variety of gift items, memorabilia, and souvenirs is available for visitors. A Tuck shop on the right side of the main entrance gate offers many traditional and handmade embroidered household items and handicrafts for visitors to buy. When you buy a thing from the store, that money will go to the welfare of the families of the martyred officers who lost their lives in combat.
Dolphin Show
You will enjoy the Dolphin Show organized at the maritime museum. The dolphins play in a spacious water body. Professionals train them to perform several tricks, like pushing objects through their noses and splattering water with their tails. The Dolphin show is a treat for the eyes. You can take your family with you and enjoy the show.
Kids Play Area
Colorful wide swings and slides are present in the spacious garden of the Maritime Museum. Children can play and enjoy themselves by jumping on the trampoline. Another facility offered by the museum is a play area where your kids can spend quality time, and you can explore the inside galleries of the museum without worrying about the kids.
Food Zone
After exploring the incredible artifacts and experiences, the Maritime Museum offers, you will undoubtedly get tired and hungry. But don’t worry, the maritime museum has got you sorted. A Food zone is available in the museum where a wide variety of food items are served, including biryani, burgers, French fries, snacks, and many more. A separate area is also available at the food court where the visitors can celebrate birthdays and other small family events.
Pakistan Navy Central Library
There is a library located on the ground floor of the Pakistan Maritime Museum. The Library provides a calm and comfortable environment where you can go through books of your choice. The Library has a fast internet facility, and air conditioners are available.
Maritime Museum Timings
If you plan a trip to Pakistan Maritime Museum, you will be pleased to know that this museum is open for its visitors every day from 9 AM to 10 PM (Monday-Friday) and 9 AM to 11 PM (Saturday-Sunday). Pakistan Maritime Museum has embraced the responsibility of preserving and showcasing the cultural heritage and maritime history of Pakistan for the knowledge of future generations about the deep-rooted legacy of Pakistan.
Pakistan Maritime Museum Ticket Price
The ticket price for visiting the Pakistan Maritime Museum is PKR 60/- per individual. However, if you want to explore aircraft, submarines, and ships, you can pay an additional PKR 20/-. Prices are low as Pakistan Maritime Museum aims to make the visit convenient, engaging, and inspiring.
Location & Contact Info of Pakistan Maritime Museum Karachi
Pakistan Maritime Museum is located on Habib Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road, Karachi, PAKISTAN. If you are planning a visit and want to know some additional information about the museum, then you can contact info@pmm.com.pk. Also, you can contact them on their phone number, (021) 48503063.
FAQs
Why is the Maritime Museum famous?
Maritime Museum is famous because it is the only museum in the country that provides a deep insight into the significance and history of the Pakistan Navy by displaying historical artifacts, relics, and exhibits. The Dolphin show, which has launched recently, increased its popularity. It is one of the exciting places for kids in Karachi.
What is inside the Maritime Museum?
Maritime Museum features many unique galleries, each of which offers something spectacular. The museum displays miniature models of submarines, aircraft, and naval ships. Another gallery houses uniforms, personal belongings, and paintings of former officers of the Pakistan Navy. In the aquarium gallery, you can explore underwater life.
Conclusion
Pakistan Maritime Museum Karachi is a dream come true for adventure-loving people as it showcases replicas of landmark achievements of the Pakistan Navy. So the visitors can feel submerged in the rich history and commendable achievements of the Pakistan Navy. Overall, Maritime Museum is a pretty clean place. All the visitors, including children, find this place very knowledgeable and entertaining. If you plan a day out here, it will be worth remembering.