Virtual trip to the Fakir Khana Museum

When it comes to the curation of our art and history, there is a lot of lag. During the ongoing pandemic art galleries and museums around the world opened their virtual doors to their audience, playing a key role in helping people deal with their anxiety in these uncertain times. However, none of the museums in the country was able to opt for digital tours, given the lack of resources and technology upgrades.

Another one of those missed opportunities.

Anyways, just like a brief virtual trip of the Lahore Museum that I did on Mashable Pakistan, here is another trip. This time to the Fakir Khana Museum, located inside the Bhatti Gate (one of the twelve gates of the old walled city of Lahore). This is one of the largest private collection in South Asia and the only one of its scale recognized by the Pakistani government.

Faqir Syed Saifuddin is the curator of this unique collection and is part of the sixth generation of the Faqir family, one of the oldest Syed family who settled in Lahore in the year 1730.

This collection represents the art from the 18th, 19th and the 20th century and have loaned many pieces to various museums all across the country including to the Lahore museum, Karachi museum and the Army museum in Rawalpindi.

When I last visited the place the following words of Mr Faqir Syed Saifuddin stayed with me.
“People invest in property and jewellery; I suggest that they invest in art as well.”

Originally published at https://pk.mashable.com on May 8, 2020.