State Bank Museum

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Karachi's State Bank of Pakistan Museum & Art Gallery debuted as the country's first Monetary Museum in 2004 on Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar Road. It was the headquarters of the Imperial Bank of India, known to be the largest commercial bank in the Indian Subcontinent during colonial control. Back then, it was constructed in 1923 under the name 'India House.' The building housed a foreign exchange office and library after Partition and the founding of the Standard Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in 1948. The State Bank of Pakistan decided in 2004 to transform the building into a museum in 2006, when restoration and collection acquisition work began. A museum opening ceremony was held on July 1, 2011. This Money Museum has received praise from academics and tourists from all over the world. The State Bank Museum serves a unique role and cannot be compared to other museums. Looking at Pakistan's paper and metal money and postage stamps from the country's inception to the present is like taking a trip through time. How to explore the State Bank Museum?

- Originally built as the Imperial Bank of India by the British in the 1920s, the current home of the State Bank of Pakistan Museum & Art Gallery is a Greco-Roman structure of Jodhpuri Red Sandstone. - The original Burmese Teak display cases, doors, and windows give the museum an appearance of antiquity, while the open layout and stone columns create a feeling of spaciousness and cleanliness. - There are seven exhibition spaces within the museum: the Coin Galleries, the Stamp Gallery, the Currency Gallery, the History of the State Bank, and the Governors' Gallery. - Over seven thousand different banknotes are available, spanning from 600 B.C. to 2014. Although early forms of coinage used images to symbolize their worth, it was not until Alexander the Great invaded the Indian - Subcontinent that coin designs shifted from depicting common livestock to heroes. All the notes are displayed in the museum. - The building has exhibits detailing the development and history of the State Bank of Pakistan. It is fascinating to see how money, in the form of bills, coins, and stamps, has changed over time. - The museum's collection includes portraits of British kings and depictions of the Star of David, Tipu Sultan, Guru Nanak, and others (which were minted as the British gained control of Mughal territories). - Make sure to check 'Treasure of Time,' the exhibition's largest painting. The mural is 65 feet by 10 feet and depicts 46 influential philosophers throughout history.

  • imageDuration Required
    3 hours

Address of State Bank Museum

II Chundrigar Road, Karachi 74000 Pakistan

Opening & Closing time of State Bank Museum

  • Monday
    09:30-17:30
  • Tuesday
    09:30-17:30
  • Wednesday
    09:30-17:30
  • Thursday
    09:30-17:30
  • Friday
    09:30-17:30
  • Saturday
    09:30-17:30
  • Sunday
    Closed