Historical buildings: Winners of heritage photo contest announced

The contest was conducted by the Silk Road Centre.

ISLAMABAD: The works of different photographers showing the Uch Shareef Shrine, the Mauj Garh Fort in Cholistan and a historical Karachi building won top honours in the Heritage Photo Contest 2013.

The prize distribution ceremony for the contest, which was conducted by the Silk Road Centre, was held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Sunday to coincide with the World Day of Audiovisual Heritage.

Photos depicting the structure of Mauj Garh Fort in Cholistan (left) Uch Shareef Shrine(right) were selected for top prizes. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Tariq Hameed Sulemani’s photo of the endangered building of the Uch Shareef Shrine won first prize. Zulfiqar Haider Tiwana was awarded second prize for his photo of Mauj Garh Fort in Cholistan, and Mahnaz Reki received the third prize for her image showing the grand entrance of an endangered historical building in Karachi.

Two photos, one from Lahore’s Walled City by Khizer Durrani and the second from the Makli Necropolises in Thatta by Muhammad Iqbal Khatri, were selected for consolation prizes.

Member National Assembly Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry distributed prizes among the winners.

The Silk Road Centre, a nonprofit educational and cultural organisation, announced the photo contest in July 2013 to promote understanding of Pakistan’s most precious but endangered built heritage.



Contestants had been asked to submit up to two images, taken between January 1 and September 30, 2013, of endangered historical and religious buildings, monuments, and archeological sites from any part of the country. A panel of three renowned photographers evaluated the entries.

Silk Road Centre Executive Director Ijlal Hussain said that the centre provides a forum for promoting, understanding and valuing the cultural diversity of the country and intercultural dialogue.

He said that the photo contest was one of the many initiatives the centre took to promote and preserve cultural resources of Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2013.