newsletter-2018

SUB-CLUBS
Members of the Gardening Club
head to
Wazir Khan
Mosque
The Past & Present
of Floral Concepts
A place that acted as a canvas of imagination for
creative minds like Rudyard Kipling and Jorge
Borges, Wazir Khan Mosque this time was the venue
chosen for the third session of the Gardening Club.
Sitting in the courtyard of the Mosque under the
brilliant noon sunlight of mid-December, and
admiring its grandeur, Mr. Kamil Khan Mumtaz, the renowned Pakistani architect enlightened members
about the importance of conservation of monuments as treasured as this especially in times as
environmentally critical as these. The secret to the edifice lies in the balance he mentioned; seamless
proportion, harmony, symmetry and rhythm. There is perfect angular and numerical balance in every detail
of the structure as well as in geometrical conversion from outside of the Mosque to inside that symbolizes
the transition of earthly life to the next.
Mr. Mumtaz’s talk also covered the well-defined chronological pattern followed throughout, with the
Quranic verses at the top, Ahadis following that, and the factual information regarding the establishment
in the end. Frescoes and paintings on the domes, walls and ceilings reflect incidents mentioned in The Holy
Quran and each illustration signifies a meaning conforming to the theme.
Mrs. Nosheen Sarfraz added by stating how frescoes and paintings of the year 1634 adorned by the Mosque
are part of courses taught in the best universities these days and how it serves as a worldwide guide for
students and others trying to grip the concepts. Concepts like ‘the unified whole’, ‘analogous color
schemes’, ‘clustering’ and ‘layering’ with the use of flowers like Fritillarias, Tulips, Dianthus, Hydrangeas,
Daisy, Bearded Iris, Marigolds, Clarkia, Narcissus, Lilium and ‘The Rose Bush’ as recent as they may sound
have been on the walls of the imposing structure for almost 4 centuries but continue to stun each visitor
each time.
As much as the members found the structure to be enormously captivating, the whole experience of
examining the facts with the experts of the field turned out to be extremely informative. Members loved
every bit of the tour; from the amazing weather and the lovely surroundings of the Walled City to the grand
Mosque and its intricate details to the perfect Lahori Brunch and the fond memories to cherish for life.
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