Construction of Mazar-e-Qaid: Design Competition
Ever since the death of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the whole nation was striving to build the tomb of the father of the nation. For this purpose, a fund named as the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Fund was headed by Governor General Khawaja Nazimuddin of Pakistan on September 20, 1948 Established which issued coupons of one rupee, five rupees and hundred rupees.
The main purpose of the establishment of this fund was that the government as well as the public could join hands in building Jinnah's shrine.
For seven to eight years, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's grave remained the center of Ziarat under the shadow of a Shaman. Meanwhile, two of Jinnah companions Liaqat Ali Khan and Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar were also buried at some distance from Jinnah' s grave.
Gradually, designs for Jinnah's shrine began to be received.
One of these designs was designed by Mehdi Ali Mirza, the architect of the Public Works Department, the other by Zainyar Jang, the architect of Allama Iqbal's shrine, and the third by Turkish architect Wasfi Agili. But the government. Pakistan has rejected these three designs.
The first and most significant breakthrough in this series occurred when the Government of Pakistan allocated 61 acres of land for this purpose in early 1957.
In the middle of the same year, the International Union of Architects (IUA) organized an international competition for designing Jinnah's shrine on the Ema of the Central Committee of the Quaid-e-Azam Memorial. The designs were accepted until 31 December 1957. In this competition 57 renowned architects from 17 countries participated.
An international jury was also set up to review the designs of these architects. The chairman of the jury was Mr. Feroz Khan Noon of Pakistan.
However, they nominated Finance Minister Syed Amjad Ali to preside over his engagements. Other members of the jury included some of the world's best-known architects.
The meeting of this jury began on 8 February 1958 in Karachi and on 15 February 1958 the jury announced its decision.
The decision made the design of a London-based construction firm Reglan Square & Partners. The design was developed by an architect associated with the firm, Robert & Roberts.
The competition prize money of Rs 25,000 was also awarded to the same organization. The proposed design of Raglan Square & Partners was a masterpiece of modern architecture and was made in a hyperbolid architectural style. But soon newspapers started publishing articles against the design. These posts said that the design is not in line with Islamic architecture and is not worthy of Jinnah's personality.
Ms Fatima Jinnah took strict notice of these posts and announced to reject the design of Raglan Square & Partners.
Requested Mumbai's Yahya Merchant to hand over design responsibilities. She expressed a desire that Jinnah's shrine be designed by Mumbai-based architect Yahya Qasim Merchant whom Jinnah himself personally liked.
Government of Pakistan respected the wish of Mother Nation and contacted Yahya Merchant and asked her to design the shrine of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Eventually, the Government of Pakistan approached Mumbai's famous architect Yahya Merchant, on the suggestion of Ms. Fatima Jinnah, who had also been the consulting architect of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Yahya Merchant immediately complied with the request and, keeping in mind the personality, character and dignity of Jinnah, designed his majesty a tomb which was also liked by Ms. Fatima Jinnah, after her liking on December 12, 1959. The Government of Pakistan has also approved this design.
Yahya Merchant's full name was Yahya Qasim Bhai Merchant and he was born in Surat in 1903. The reason for Yahya Merchant is the shrine of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, whose map was designed by him at the request of Ms. Fatima Jinnah.
Yahya Merchant also designed the main gate of the Sports Museum in Mumbai and the famous exhibition in Karachi. Yahya Merchant was also an honorary associate with the teaching department of her mother, Sir JJ School of Arts. She passed away on September 9, 1990 Happened in Mumbai.
Construction of the shrine began on 8 February 1960 after approval of Yahya Merchant's design and digging of the foundations began on 7 March 1961. The tomb's foundations were also buried old Pakistani coins and documents of Resolution Pakistan 1940
