Srinagar is home to an extraordinary range of social, cultural and economic assets in its traditional knowledge systems, oral traditions, and in skills of art and craft and now a new book explores the history and architectural heritage of the 500-year-old city, bringing to life its rich past.
In "Srinagar: An Architectural Legacy", theatre director Feisal Alkazi attempts to place the city's built tradition in a specific cultural context, where environment and history combined to create a unique style.
The book, published by Roli Books in collaboration with INTACH, is divided into two distinct parts - the first attempts to bring alive the rich past with its alternate eras of sorrow and celebration, and place the style of Kashmiri architecture in a specific context.
The second part lays out a series of walks, each of approximately three to three-and-a-half hours duration that give one a chance to discover the city, book in hand, and get a sense of the architectural heritage, as well as the dynamic interplay of civic life, religion and trade.
Alkazi discusses the development of the city along the meandering course of Jhelum with structures like mohallas, galis and traditional wooden bridges called 'kadal'. He provides a glimpse of Kashmir through the years.
From Zain-ul-Abidin's process of urbanisation, man-made island Zaina Lank, Zaina Kadal (first permanent bridge at Ala-u-dinpura), to Nallah Mar Canal followed by Pathar Masjid, built by the Mughal empress Noor Jahan, to the mosque built by Dara Shikoh for his spiritual mentor Mullah Shah on Hari Parbat, the city under the Sikh and Afghan rulers followed by the modernization that happened under the Dogra ruler Maharaja Pratap Singh, he focuses on all of these.
According to Alkazi, Srinagar is rapidly changing: malls replacing colonial structures, glass and concrete replacing wood, bay windows replacing the dub.
"Much of the beauty of Kashmiri residential architecture can be still seen in several houses around Ali Kadal and Zaina Kadal bridges in the old city, but this is a building traditional that may not survive," he writes.
"Over the past five years, the Srinagar chapter of INTACH, on the request of CHEK (Centre for Heritage and Environment of Kashmir) has worked assiduously at documenting the building tradition, covering 838 homes, religious buildings, commercial and administrative complexes, gardens and canals to create an impressive five-volume set of listings. This book is based entirely on these listings and additional research in the field and in libraries," he says.
