The carved columns
Finely worked stone.
Saqib Qayyum derivative work: MagentaGreen — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Saqib Qayyum — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yasir Dora — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Syed HussainHyder Zaidi — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Nadirkhanbrahui — CC BY-SA 4.0
Makli Necropolis is one of the largest funerary sites in the world, near the city of Thatta in Sindh, spread over an area of 10 km. It holds about half a million to one million tombs built over 400 years. UNESCO listed it in 1981 as an outstanding testament to Sindhi civilisation between the 14th and 18th centuries. It lies on a plateau in the town of Makli, about 6 km from Thatta, the capital of lower Sindh until the 17th century, and about 98 km east of Karachi, near the head of the Indus Delta. The site includes large monuments to royalty, Sufi saints and leading scholars, in a variety of styles. You see stone buildings with fine carving and sculpted columns, brick tombs with domes in blue tile, such as that of Diwan Shurfa Khan, and thousands of small stone graves stretching among the shrubs. You need a car to move between the far parts. Many consider it a sacred place, so be respectful and do not sit on the graves. It is about 91 km in a straight line from Karachi and about 2 km from Thatta. Bring a hat and plenty of water, as the sun is strong and shade is rare, and start in the morning, above all outside winter.
Finely worked stone.
A dome in blue tile.
Stretching among the shrubs.
Makli, near Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan
At least two hours, with a car to move between far parts.
Do not sit on the graves, and be respectful, as many visitors consider it sacred.