places to visit in pakistan::The city now hosts the largest necropolis in the world, the makli graveyard which is an astonishing site, to say the least places to visit in pakistan

places to visit in pakistan::The city now hosts the largest necropolis in the world, the makli graveyard which is an astonishing site, to say the least.
With a diameter of approximately 8 kilometers, makli hill is supposed to be the burial place of some 125,000 sufi saints.
Legends abound about its inception, but it is generally believed that the cemetery grew around the shrine of the fourteenthcentury sufi hamad jamali.
The tombs and gravestones spread over the cemetery are material documents marking the social and political history of sind.
Must visit if you are in karachi or hyderabad.
The second main attraction of the city is the shahjahan mosque.
The mosque was built by shahjahan; and is now included in the unesco world heritage sites list.
Architecturally unique, the shahjahan mosque is distinct in its layout as well as in its materials.
It is the first mosque in this region to be constructed according to the principles of mughal courtyard architecture.
Atypical of mosques, this building is elongated along the eastwest rather than the usual northsouth axis.
Red brick is utilized rather than the pink sandstone and marble more commonly associated with mughal buildings.
Quite likely, the decision to use brick was made out of practical concerns of cost and availability, since thatta does not have much stone.
The surfaces are decorated with glazed tiles.
The mosque was commissioned by the mughal emperor shah jahan as a gesture of gratitude to the people of thatta for sheltering him during his youth after his father emperor jahangir banished him from delhi.
Several persian inscriptions on site date the foundation of the mosque to 1644 and its completion to 1647.
The floor was paved with stone in 1657.
The freestanding entrance built for the new garden is defined by a triple arched structure that imitates the mughal style of arches contained within rectangular frames, with the central portion being projected higher than the others.
It is built on axis with the main entrance to the mosque.
The new garden is an imitation of the fourquadrant chahar bagh style, through which one walks to reach the mosque.
Other equally interesting modifications and experiments with mughal style are also in evidence; for example, there is no minaret.
Instead of the typical three bulbous domes, there is only one main dome in the prayer hall.
The use of high pistaqs during the takhan period of thatta has been recorded and is also typical of the timurid architecture.
The concept of a domed iwan has been developed here and has been used to define the secondary entrances.
The shah jahan mosque represents the height of tile decoration in the sind.
The influence of mosaic on tile work is seen in the ceiling decoration of semidomed and domed chambers, as well as in the fillings of interlaced arches and in the panels at squinch level.
The technique of soft glazed tile paneling had been in use since the tarkhan period.
Various shapes of tiles square, rectangular and hexagonal were manufactured and joined to complete a design in a given panel.
The tilework is not related to the imperial mughal style, but to the timurid school.
Various shades of blue on white, and some yellow or purple background produce a very soothing effect in the hot climate of thatta.
Thatta is just an hour away from karachi, so staying in karachi is recommended.
When coming from hyderabad, take the national highway and not the usual super highway route.
Make sure to keep all your documents since you would need to present them on exiting karachi.
Summers are really hot so keep water with you, although almost the whole way upto thatta is populated and water is available.
As a precautionary measure, avoid travel during the nights.
Posted 26 months ago.