It is one of the largest historical graveyard in the world spread over approximately 8 KMs. Located at the outskirts of Thatta, Makli is assumed to be the final resting place of around 125,000 Sufi Said. While Thatta itself is inscribed in the World Heritage List since 1981 under the name of ‘Historical Monuments of Thatta’.
Legend has it that the graveyard was populated around the shrine of fourteenth-centur Sufi, Hamad Jamali whereas the tombs and gravestones all over the graveyard are documents marking the social and political history of Sindh.
The Imperial mausoleums are divided into two major grous i.e. the Samma (1352-1520) and Tarkhan (1556-1592) periods while the tomb of Smma king, Jam Nizamuddin II who was in power from 1461-1509 is quite a fabulous structure entirely built of sandstones and decorated with floral and geometric medallions.
Isa Khan Tarkhan II has a similar masauleum which has a majestic two story building built with stones having cupolas and balconies. Whereas the Hindu and Islamic motifs have mausoleums that clearly show the Central Asian roots of the later dynasty.
Example can be extracted from the tomb of Jan Beg Tarkhan which is a octagonal brick structure whose dome is covered in blue and turquoise glazed tiles.
Makli Hill is a United Nations World Heritage Site that is visited by both pilgrims and tourists.
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