TDF Ghar, Karachi

TDF Ghar is a restored 1930s residence that presents the domestic and multicultural heritage of the pre-independence period. Originally owned by Haribai Motiram, the property was purchased in 1948 by Hanifabai Haji Gani for her daughter Aisha Bai Dawood, bringing it into the Dawood family. The house was meticulously restored by The Dawood Foundation between 2016 and 2017, opening to the public in August 2017 as a “living museum” and informal learning space.

The two-storey house retains its original handcrafted patterned floor tiles, wooden doors, staircases, high ceilings, arched openings, balconies, and stained glass typical of middle-class homes of the period. Its furnished living spaces contain antique seating, tables, lamps, radios, clocks, typewriters, telephones, books, and crockery that evoke everyday life during the early 20th century. The complex also includes exhibition rooms ("Numaish Halls"), a book-swapping library, a courtyard café inspired by Karachi’s former Irani cafés, and spaces for meetings and workshops. From the rooftop terrace, visitors can see the nearby mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Mazar-e-Quaid) and parts of the surrounding historic neighborhood.

TDF Ghar functions as both a heritage museum and a cultural gathering space. Its programming includes historical exhibitions, talks, film screenings, performances, storytelling sessions, workshops, and educational visits. These activities connect the restored house with the history of the diverse Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Parsi, and Jewish communities that once lived in the surrounding Jamshed Quarters.