KARACHI – The 72-foot-wide dome of Mazar-e-Quaid, the final resting place of Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, is undergoing a comprehensive cleaning and polishing process for the first time in nearly a decade.
The work, which started recently, is expected to continue for the next 15 days in preparation for the nation’s celebration of Jinnah’s birth anniversary on December 25th.
Over the past few years, the dome was cleaned during key national events, but the recent rainfall and the accumulation of dust and dirt over time made a thorough restoration necessary.
The marble surface of the dome and its base will be meticulously ground and polished, ensuring the iconic structure regains its pristine, shining white appearance.
According to Abdul Aleem Shaikh, the Resident Engineer at Mazar-e-Quaid, the mausoleum covers a sprawling area of around 63 acres, and maintenance and beautification work continue throughout the year. However, preparations for December 25th, the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, often include special efforts to highlight the Mazar’s significance, with the dome cleaning being a key aspect.
The marble structure, which has been exposed to environmental wear and tear, has also seen the addition of more than 8,000 trees in recent years. This step was taken to protect the monument from the effects of climate change and to shield it from the heat, dust, and the corrosive impact of carbon dioxide.
