Shamspir

Shamspir
شمس پیر
Village
Map
DistrictKeamari District
CityKarachi
CountryPakistan
Population
 • Total
c. 5,000
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)

Shamspir (Urdu: شمس پیر) is an island village near Karachi, Pakistan, along the western end of Karachi Harbour, close to Sandspit Beach and Kakapir. It is administered as part of the Keamari District. Approximately 5,000 people now live on the island.[1] The village is bordered by thick Mangrove forests which grow in the harbour.[2]

Shamspir is named for a Mazar (shrine) of a saint named Hazrat Sham Pir which located on the island. Shamspir is an old village which, like the nearby Baba and Bhit Islands, predates the formal establishment of Karachi.[3] Residents from Baba and Bhit islands helped settle Shamspir.[4] During the British era, some residents of Mithadar and Kharadar were settled in Shamspir during construction of the Port of Karachi.[5] Some of those residents moved further west and established the fishing village of Kakapir.[6]

  1. ^ "Shams Pir Island gets". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  2. ^ "KARACHI: Mangroves disappearing off Shamspir Island". DAWN.COM. 2006-12-14. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  3. ^ Siddiqui, Ahmed Husain (1996). Karachi: The Pearl of Arabian Sea. Mohammad Husain Academy.
  4. ^ Tribune.com.pk (2019-02-24). "Forgotten stories of Karachi's coastal islands uncovered". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  5. ^ "􏰔􏰜􏰆􏰂􏰁 􏰗􏰏􏰐􏰘􏰋􏰓􏰏􏰋􏰐 􏰔􏰇􏰃 􏰝􏰔􏰇􏰌􏰓􏰆􏰞􏰋 􏰟􏰋􏰐􏰆􏰂􏰓􏰕􏰋􏰐Study on Knowledge, Attitudes, & Practices of Fisherfolk Communities" (PDF). World Wildlife Foundation. 2005.
  6. ^ "􏰔􏰜􏰆􏰂􏰁 􏰗􏰏􏰐􏰘􏰋􏰓􏰏􏰋􏰐 􏰔􏰇􏰃 􏰝􏰔􏰇􏰌􏰓􏰆􏰞􏰋 􏰟􏰋􏰐􏰆􏰂􏰓􏰕􏰋􏰐Study on Knowledge, Attitudes, & Practices of Fisherfolk Communities" (PDF). World Wildlife Foundation. 2005.