Monitoring Desk: “When I see Villas and farmhouses in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta, I ask myself why do we not establish jewel-like Belvedere palaces (museum) that were actually a summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736)? We have government bungalows spreading over hectares of lands where our “creme de cream” bureaucracy lives. Can we not use one such building in one district to establish a place where our youth can come to see the heritage of their ancestors and traveler can feel the history of the land where they are traveling to?”
This was commented by Prague-based writer Shazia Anwer Cheema in her article “Museums, a journey through history to future” published in Pakistan Observer.
She is of the view that culture is not a luxury for the so-called elite, but the foundation of a free society, therefore preserving and exhibiting the history of a country is actually promoting culture and protecting its heritage.
She writes while visiting European museums including in Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Copenhagen, and Oslo, she found an interesting aspect of the influence of museums over travelers and now understands why do Europeans spend so many resources and give so much priority to their museums?
“When you visit a museum, you do not only see artifacts or paintings rather you start a journey to the past, present, and possible future of the nation that owns the objects. When you watch a piece of art or read a piece of literature, you actually communicate in a credible, understandable, and interactive way with the era that poetry, prose, painting, and artifact belong to and represent. While visiting “Belvedere” that one of the oldest museums in the world and a venue for contemporary art, I asked myself why do we not have a Belvedere museum that can link our past with our future? I do not want to compare European museums with what we have in Pakistan because one can say our society is still serving and surviving through the reality of bed and bread. However, when I see Villas and farmhouses in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta, I ask myself why do we not establish jewel-like Belvedere? We have government bungalows spreading over hectares of lands where our “creme de cream” bureaucracy lives. Can we not use one such building in one district to establish a place where our youth can come to see the heritage of their ancestors and traveler can feel the history of the land where they are traveling to?” asked Shazia Anwer Cheema.
Her original article published in Pakistan Observer can be read to click this link
