About Sindh Antiquities
Traditionally the kings and state machinery used to cater for the maintenance of the public works, grand mosques and mausolea, and also monuments created by earlier patrons. In Sindh the Summas are known to have played active role in this regard. Arghuns, Turkhans and Talpurs not only looked after such buildings in Sindh, but provided regular financial assistance for the structures in Jerusalem, Iraq, Hijaz and Persia. Even after loosing the country to Britishers, the Amirs of Sindh still continued to remit funds, through British Resident in Iraq, for such works.
It was result of the popular continuation of the tradition that Britishers felt compelled to undertake the restoration works on Shahjahani Mosque, Thatta and Mirza Essa Turkhan’s Tomb at Makli, in follow up of such earlier bid by Mir Fateh Ali Khan Talpur.The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) after its creation undertook restoration of selected historic monuments and developed a strategy of conservation.
The indulgence of Government of Sindh with the matters of Culture started quite early in Sindh, compared with other provinces. The Sindhi Adabi Board did great service for Sindh’s Literature and History, the Museum at Hyderabad bravely sustained change of fate; however in seventies a cell was established in the Education Department to look after the cultural issues. Same cell grew into Directorate of Culture and subsequently became Department of Culture.
But the built heritage remained under the care of the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Pakistan. The lack of resources and under developed human resources created a situation, where the concerns of people mounted due to fast deterioration of valuable heritage. Thus the Department of Antiquities was created to look after the archaeological, historical and physical heritage of province. The department has three wings these are Heritage, Conservation and Archaeology. The head office is situated in Karachi, with sub offices in Thatta, Shikarpur, Jamshoro, Hyderabad and Sukkur.
