PESHAWAR - Laiba Farooq, a sixth-grade student passionate about architecture and archaeology, was excited on Monday after visiting the Sethi House, a historic jewel renowned for its awe-inspiring woodwork and exquisite architectural design. Accompanied by her parents, Laiba Farooq along with her sister Aleena Farooq, a residents of Nowshera were over the moon after exploring the architectural wonder located in Mohalla Sethiyan near Ghanta Ghar, amid overcast skies with chances of rain at Peshawar. Built in 1886 by Sethi Karim Bakhash, Sethi House left her in an enormous excitement with its awesome wooden gate, grand courtyard, and captivating water fountain grabbing the visitors attention. Construction work was started in 1835 during the colonial era and the house was finally completed in nearly 49 years. Standing as testament of amalgamation of Muslim and vernacular Uzbekistani architecture, the house unique features such as basement, central courtyard, and an upper floor has magnified the Sethi family’s flair for awesome architecture design and love for woodwork. The significance of the house’s architectural jewel was rightly elaborated by the renowned archaeologist Prof Ahmad Hassan Dani who had mentioned houses in the Sethi neighbourhood in his book `Peshawar - Historic City of the Frontier’. Professor Dani wrote that through a galaxy of pre-Islamic, Mughal, Sikh and even British, much of Peshawar’s rich and varied cultural history can be traced. Known for their international trade and innovative architectural contributions, Sethi family had faced economic and financial difficulties in the early 20th century due to the Bolshevik Revolution, which negatively impacted their businesses. They eventually sold their properties including Sethi House to revive their fortunes, Bakhtzada Khan, Assistant Director of the Archeology and Museum Department said and noted that the beauty of the mehrabs (prayer place) adorned with glass shelves that mimic stars and the exquisite ceiling design were the most frequented visit sites. Tourist Umar Khayam Khan from Nowshera praised the building’s historical significance and its potential for attracting global visitors and was highly impressed by its eye-catching glasswork and floral designs, which were brought from Belgium, adding its charm. He said Sethi House was the identity of Peshawar and urged visitors to ensure that plastic bags and other raw materials should not be thrown away after visiting it. Shahryar Khan, Chief Architect at the Communication and Works Department, described Sethi House as a model of green architecture of 20th century due to its effective ventilation and durability.
Acquired by the KP Government in 2006 and converted into a museum in 2010, Sethi House now attracts architecture enthusiasts. Sethi House museum houses a collection of artifacts and antiquities from the region. The collection includes paintings, sculptures, carpets, and textiles, Mughal paintings, Pashto paintings, and a few European paintings. The sculpture collection includes Buddhist sculptures, Gandhara sculptures, and a few Hindu sculptures. He said the carpet collection includes tribal carpets, Mughal carpets, and a few Persian carpets besides shawls, dresses, and rugs.
The museum also has a library and a research centre. The library has a collection of books on the history and culture of the region. The research centre is used by scholars to study the artifacts in the museum. Its preservation was part of the Cultural Heritage Trail Project (CHTP), which renovated a 500-meter trail from Ghanta Ghar to Gor Gathri, restoring the grandeur of Peshawar’s historic sites. The CHTP has revitalized around 85 heritage buildings, reflecting Peshawar’s rich history from the Mughal, British, and Sikh eras. The archeology guru said Sethi house museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m and the entrance fee is Rs. 100 for adults and Rs. 50 for children. The experts said that Sethi House museum is an attractive designation of Peshawar to learn about the history, art and culture of the region and international tourists could be attracted in droves by properly showcasing it through social media platforms on a regular basis.