생기 넘치는 ‘고도’ 파키스탄 남부 ‘타타’를 가다

*’아시아엔’ 해외 필진 기고문 한글요약본과 원문을 게재합니다.

파키스탄 신드(Sindh) 지역의 작은 도시 타타(Thatta)는 학문의 상아탑이다. 많은 학자와 시인들의 고향이자, 수천명 성인들이 묻힌 성지기도 하다. 타타 주민들은 그들의 터전에 대한 애착이 강하다. 열정적인 주민들은 타타의 매력이며, 이를 보러 많은 이들이 타타를 방문한다.

미개발 도시 타타는 파키스탄의 명소다. 이 도시는 모굴(Mughal) 제국시대에 건축된 거대공동묘지 샤자한(Shahjahan) 사원과 파키스탄에서 가장 큰 호수 킨하(Keenjhar) 호로도 잘알려져 있다. 이렇게 뿌리가 깊은 도시이기는 하지만, 정작 나의 관심을 끈 것은 이 지역 주민들의 ‘애정’이었다.

필자는 타타 주민들의 얼굴표정을 찍고 글을 썼다. 도시의 유구한 역사와 다채로운 문화를 담고 있는 얼굴들이다. 사진들은 수년에 걸친 도시의 변화를 보여주는 ‘주민들의 얼굴’을 이야기하고 있다. 상점가에서 사람들의 자연스러운 모습을 사진에 담았다. 타타 주민들은 외부의 시선을 두려워하지 않고, 뚜렷한 표정으로 마주한다. 주민들을 바라보면 그들의 삶과 타타의 진정한 아름다움을 절로 느낄 수 있다. 번역 최정아 인턴기자

Thatta: the city of vibrant and fascinating faces

I felt like Hunter S. Thompson. No, more like Raoul Duke (or Rahul Duke, you might say). Only I was not high on acid. I found myself in the middle of a very small city known as Thatta in Sindh, Pakistan, which boasted of academic excellence in Sindh a couple of centuries ago. It was the same Thatta where scholars and poets pursued their thirst of knowledge; the same Thatta where hundreds and thousands of saints and rulers are buried; and the very same Thatta, which is still inhabited by Sindhis full of energy and followers and devotees of those saints.

I figured that the people of Thatta live a rural lifestyle. While exploring Thatta, I found the mentality of the people to be laid back. Perhaps that is why people from cities like Karachi visit here often, to seek escape from the busy city life. Nonetheless, their enthusiasm and love for their hometown was what caught my attention.

Encapsulation of the liveliness
I was specifically fascinated by a sentence uttered by one of the locals in the market when the person ahead of him slowed down due to a puddle of mud. He exclaimed, “Halo, halo! Asaan jo khoobsurat sheher Thatto!” meaning “Move on, it’s our beautiful city, Thatta.”

This was pure sarcasm. But for me, it encapsulated the liveliness of the people of Thatta. They were by no means lethargic or gloomy. Of course, the city is not well developed as you would expect when you find out that Thatta boasts of the famous mosque built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan; one of the largest necropolises in the world, Makli; and the largest freshwater lake of Pakistan, Keenjhar Lake. But, that does not affect the mindset of the people. They are as cheerful as they come.

This short series of photos consists of portraits that try to capture the “khoobsurti” (beauty) of Thatta, not through the landmarks and the historic architecture that it possesses, but in the faces of people that dwell there.

Walking in the main bazaar of Thatta, which runs like a river through the whole city, I saw a number of interesting faces. People did not wear masks; they showed who they were. They were not afraid of being judged. Everyone lived together, from the beggars to the bread-earners.

My images are an attempt to show a portrait of the city Thatta. Every face I saw told me a different story of the city and its experience. There were those who had spent their lives in the city and seen it change through the years. Their faces talked about the evolution, the change the city has gone through. The wrinkles on the faces of the old men, the touching smiles of the children who ran their houses by themselves ? every face spoke.

Every face is a new story of ‘the beautiful city of Thatta.’

Through this series, I capture the interesting juxtaposition of elements that occur naturally in the streets of Thatta. The people of the wonderful city have a distinct look, a look with a lot of character in them. They are not ordinary faces, but faces that you will remember. From the endless soul-searching stares to the interesting activities they are involved in, the people of Thatta remind everyone who visits or gets a peek at their lives that even though the city is not at its prime in terms of cultural excellence and educational importance, Thatta will always remain beautiful, no matter what.