ROZAN: Cross-Border Facility

Abstract

A pilgrimage is a devotional act that requires travel to a place of significance. It requires displacement from one place to the other causing the pilgrim to become a temporary vagabond whose mercy lies at the hands of the shelter around them. Shia Muslims of Pakistan also referred to as Ahle-Tashi are the second largest religious population of this sect in the world. For them, Iran holds significant value due to its Ziarat sites at Mashhad and Qom. Mashhad is the place of martyrdom of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Shia Muslims. Despite the significance of this pilgrimage, the journey is isolating for the travelers. Not only is it difficult to reach the border but due to the lack of facilities, pilgrims are isolated without any shelter at their last stop in Pakistan, Taftan. Many security and infrastructural issues occur at Taftan due to its remote location in Balochistan. The border, despite its significance, has become a non-place. It requires amenities, resources and services for the increasing number of pilgrims traversing the arduous journey from Pakistan to Iran. This thesis aims to discover the architectural potential in the threshold of the two neighboring countries that share rich history, culture, and religion. With its proximity to major projects like CPEC and potential trading routes, it also aims to explore the trade opportunities between the two countries that are deeply intertwined with border activity due to the pilgrimage and to uncover the untapped prospects of the Taftan border which could potentially be the hub of trade and tourism in Balochistan. The abrupt isolation from familiarity requires a cross-border facility that aims to ease the process of migration from one country to the next. Through conception of rest areas and facilities in and around the border and joint border markets and barter rooms, the project aims to improve the religious tourism conditions for the Shia community of Pakistan while tapping into the potential for bilateral trade between Iran and Pakistan.