Author(s):Imrana Seemi, Zakirullah Jan, Zil-e-Huma Mujeeb, Shabana Rafiq
Abstract :
Peshawar, being located on the cross-road between central and south Asia, has emerged to be
a city of diverse cultural traditions, religious philosophies and multiple ethnicities. Owing to this strategic
location it has been one of the earliest living cities of south Asia since last two thousand years, as shown
by the archaeological record (Durrani, Ali & Rehman, 1997). Because of the frequent interaction with
outside cultures, the art and architecture in Peshawar got developed with new traditions and elements. In
addition to the glorious art of Gandhara and the Islamic, the colonial art and architecture is also
noteworthy that flourished in this part of the British Empire apart from Kolkata, Mumbai and Lahore.
One of the notable architectural structures of that age is building of Islamia College Peshawar that speaks
the grandeur of the British Raj, which is described briefly in this paper. Architectural elements used in
the Islamia College building are dexterously borrowed from eastern and western sources. They are used
in terms of symbolism and style as the rationale of attraction and utility. Local elements are considerably
used such as dome, arches, niches etc to enhance beauty of the building. The universal language of
geometrical form and symmetrical pattern, with red brick colour in rough texture add harmony of vision
to architecture that is a splendid eastern style. The British conceptualized and designed the architecture
to represent noticeably the new