The Necropolis of Makli, Thatta

Heritage Foundation, 2014

Aerial View, Makli by Suhail Z. LariHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

With its all-pervading silence of over one million graves, awash with stillness and peace, the Makli ridge beckons you on.

The site was inscribed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1981.

Aerial View, Makli by Suhail Z. LariHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The Necropolis is spread over an area of 12 km, and consists of 75 identified structures, over 400 platforms and numerous single graves.

These are Makli's Tarkhan and Timurid monuments.

The Tomb of Jam Nizam al Din and the Samma MonumentsHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Where the scale alone is overwhelming, awesome are the centuries old ruins of sepulchres of rulers and princes, saints and mendicants, the profiles of these architectural edifices rising from the eminence of the ridge.

Samma Monuments at Makli Hill, Suhail Z. Lari, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Over view of Samma Monuments (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Samma Monuments at Makli Hill

Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Baqi Beg Uzbek, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Jani and Ghazi Beg, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Nawab Mirza Isa Khan Tarkhan, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Mirza Jan Baba (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Tomb of Jan Baba, Yadgar Miskin and 11 others.

Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Cenotaph calligraphy

The Lamp of Enlightenment (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Details of carving on Cenotaph at Makli

Stone carvings by Suhail Z. LariHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Ornamentation on stone headstones

Detail of stone carving at Grave of Muhammad Saleh by Mariyam NizamHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Over many centuries, Makli became famous as an abode of some of the most significant saints of the subcontinent.

The site embodies a culture of forbearance among people belonging to different religious orientations, and its architectural characteristics present an eclectic mix, amalgamating diverse Muslim and Hindu cultural traditions. Many are remarkable for devotional carvings of exquisite charm, presenting motifs drawn from various religious and iconographic traditions.

Rosettes at the Tomb of Jam Nizam al-Din, Suhail Z. Lari, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Kashi Kari

Kashi Kari, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Glazed tiles

Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan

Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan

Kaus-e-Sultani (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Gateway of Kaus-i-Sultani

Turban headstone at Samma Cluster, Makli by Suhail Z. LariHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The four centuries, from the earliest Samma rule spanning from 14-16th Century, comprise the golden age of Thatta, and are signified by the popular Jam Nizam al Din or Jam Nindo.

Tomb of Jam Nindo by Suhail Z. LariHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Detail of carving on the Tomb of Jam Nizam-al Din

Aerial View of Samma Monuments at Makli, Suhail Z. Lari, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Jam Nizam al-Din by Mariyam NizamHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Tomb of Jam Nizam-al Din

Detail of Jharoka Carving at Jam Nizam's Tomb by Suhail Z. LariHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Jharokha details of Tomb of Jam Nizam-al Din.

Tomb of Nuri and Jam Tamachi (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Tomb of Nuri and Jam Tamachi

carved details (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The carved imagery of date palms symbolizes the oasis of heaven.

carved rosettes (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The rosettes and lotus flower motif are a reoccuring theme at the site.

Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan, the Younger by Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums, PakistanHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The short lived Arghun dynasty of the 16th Century was established by Shah Beg Arghun, a descendant of Changez Khan, who vanquished the last Samma ruler Jam Feroz.

It was Mirza Isa Khan Tarkhan the Elder, who established the Tarkhan dynasty lasting until the end of the 16th Century.

Tomb of Nawab Isa Khan Tarkhan (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The Tomb of Nawab Mirza Isa Khan Tarkhan, the last Tarkhan ruler.

Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan, the Younger (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan, the Younger.

This two-storeyed tomb is the largest structure at the World Heritage Site.

Tomb of Sultan IbrahimHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The 17th Century tombs of Sultan Ibrahim and Amir Sultan Muhammad from the Tarkhan Dynasty at Makli, Thatta.

Detail of Stone Carving by Mariyam NizamHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Details of stone carving at the Tomb of Jan Baba

Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan by Mariyam NizamHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Emperor Akbar’s commander Abdur Rahim Khan Khanan, having crushed Mirza Jani Beg, established the supremacy of Timurid governors (17th to 18th Century).

This is the tomb of Nawab Dewan Shurfa Khan, the Mughal Governor at Makli.

Tomb of Dewan Shurfa Khan, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Tomb of Baqi Beg Uzbek (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

Enclosure of Baqi Beg Uzbek and Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan II, in the background.

Tomb of Mirza Jan Baba (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

A view of one of the collapsed tombs at Tomb of Mirza Jan Baba

Tomb of Khusrau Khan Charkhas (2015) by Jamshayd MasudHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The Tomb of Khusrau Khan Charkhas

Tomb of Tughral Beg, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Grave detail, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Stone Carving detail, Jamshayd Masud, 2015, From the collection of: Heritage Foundation, Pakistan
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Isa Langoti by Suhail Z. LariHeritage Foundation, Pakistan

The site continues to retain its spirituality, beckoning those searching for divine awakening, and among its ruins live on the traditional rituals of the devotees that flock to the numerous sanctuaries seeking divine refuge and spiritual sustenance.

Credits: Story

Text: Yasmeen Lari, Heritage Foundation

Photographs: Suhail Z. Lari and Mariyam Nizam, Heritage Foundation; Jamshayd Masud,

Text based on manuscripts by: Suhail Z. Lari, Heritage Foundation

Archival image of Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan: Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums, Pakistan

Post-production (video): Naseeb Ahmad

Cinematography: Raja Sabri

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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