Makli Necropolis (Urdu: شہرِ خموشاں مکلی; Sindhi: مڪلي قبرستان) is one of the largest burial sites in the world. It covers an area of 10 kilometers near the city of Thatta in the Pakistani province of Sindh. The site includes between 500,000 and 1 million tombs built over a 400-year period. It contains large monuments for royalty, Sufi saints, and respected scholars. In 1981, the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as an "outstanding testament" to Sindhi civilization from the 14th to 18th centuries.
Location
Makli Necropolis is located in the town of Makli, which is on a plateau about 6 kilometers from the city of Thatta, the capital of lower Sindh until the 17th century. It is approximately 98 kilometers east of Karachi, near the tip of the Indus River Delta in southeastern Sindh. The southernmost part of the site is about 5 miles north of the ruins of the medieval Kallankot Fort.
Etymology
The site and nearby hills are said to get their name from a story about a Hajj pilgrim who stopped there and felt very spiritual and excited. The pilgrim said the place was like Makkah to him. A Sufi saint named Sheikh Hamad Jamali then gave the site the name "Makli," meaning "Little Makkah," after hearing the pilgrim's story.
However, there is no clear proof that this story is true. Historian Ali Ahmad Brohi believes the name "Makli" comes from the ancient Mahakali (Maa Kali) temple. He says other ideas about the name are not convincing. Brohi also points out that the tomb of Jam Nizamuddin II has stones that look like those from an old temple.
History
The Sufi saint, poet, and scholar Shaikh Jamali created a khanqah, which is a place where Sufis gather, at Makli. He was later buried there. The 14th century Samma ruler, Jam Tamachi, respected the saint and wanted to be buried near him. This started the tradition of using Makli as a place for burials.
Makli became a major funerary site during the Samma dynasty’s rule. The Samma rulers had their capital near Thatta.
The most important tombs at Makli were built during the Mughal era, between 1570 and 1640 CE. These tombs are known for their architectural design.
Layout
Makli Necropolis covers an area of 10 square kilometers and contains at least 500,000 tombs. It begins at Pir Patho, the southern end of the Makli Hills, and extends northward in a shape that resembles a diamond. The eastern side of the site is defined by the ridge of the Makli Hills. The largest structures are usually located near the southern edge of the area, while the Samma tombs are found in the northern part.
Architectural evolution
The funerary architecture of the largest monuments combines elements from Muslim, Hindu, Persian, Mughal, and Gujarati traditions, in the style of Lower Sindh known as the Chaukhandi style, named after the Chaukhandi tombs near Karachi. This style includes slabs of sandstone carefully carved by stonemasons into detailed and complex patterns.
The earliest tombs had three to six stone slabs stacked to form a small pyramid shape. Later designs added small bases to the structures.
By the 15th century, tombs began to include decorated rosettes and circular patterns. More intricate designs and Arabic calligraphy with information about the person buried inside were later added. Larger monuments from later periods included corridors and some designs inspired by ideas about the universe.
Pyramidal structures from the 16th century used minarets with floral designs, a style unique to tombs from the Turkic Trakhan dynasty. Structures from the 17th century in the Leilo Sheikh area of the cemetery had large tombs that looked like Jain temples from a distance, showing strong influence from the nearby region of Gujarat.
Some larger tombs had carvings of animals, warriors, and weapons, a practice rare in Muslim funerary monuments. Later tombs at the site were sometimes made entirely of brick, with only a sandstone slab.
The largest structures in the classic Chaukhandi style had domed canopies made of yellow sandstone, covered in white plaster, and included wooden doorways. This style shows influences from Central Asia and Persia. The size of the dome showed how important the person buried inside was, with floral patterns carved on the underside. Some canopies had lotus flowers, a symbol often linked to Hinduism.
Some tombs had blue tile work, a common feature in Sindh. Over time, the use of funerary pavilions spread beyond Lower Sindh and influenced funerary architecture in neighboring Gujarat.
Royal mausolea
The royal tombs are divided into two main groups: the Samma group and the Tarkhan, Arghun, and Mughals group. The Samma group includes tombs from the Samma period, while the Tarkhan, Arghun, and Mughals group includes tombs from those three periods.
Tombs from the Samma Dynasty are located in a 5-acre area at the northern end of the necropolis. The Samma rulers were Rajput princes who took control of Thatta in 1335. Samma tombs have designs influenced by Gujarati styles and include decorations from both Muslim and Hindu traditions.
The tomb of King Jam Nizamuddin II, completed in 1510, is a large square building that is 11.4 meters on each side. It was made of sandstone and decorated with floral and geometric patterns. The box-like shape of the tomb may have been inspired by the Ka'aba in Makkah. The dome was never built, leaving the inside exposed to weather. The tomb has a large, intricately carved balcony in the Gujarati style and a small peak above it, making it look like a temple. The outside has 14 rows of decorative designs that include Quranic verses and Hindu symbols. However, all decorations are geometric shapes, except for a frieze showing local ducks.
The tomb of Darya Khan, the adoptive son of Jam Nizamuddin II, resembles a Rajasthani fort. It was built after Darya Khan died in 1521. Darya Khan was born a slave but became a general after defeating an Arghun army in battle. He was given the title "Hero of Sindh" and later became Madrul Muham, or Prime Minister.
The tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan I, who ruled from 1554 to 1565, is different from Samma-style tombs. It has a new type of cenotaph and is shaped like a rectangle. The inside walls are covered with Quranic verses. The tomb also has a space for the graves of five of his royal ladies.
The mausoleum of Isa Khan Hussain II Tarkhan (died 1651) has a two-story stone building with cupolas and balconies. The tomb was built during Isa's lifetime. According to legend, after completion, Isa ordered the craftsmen’s hands to be cut off to prevent them from creating a rival monument.
The tomb of Jan Beg Tarkhan (died 1600) is an octagonal brick structure with a dome covered in blue and turquoise glazed tiles. Pavilion or canopy tombs (chattri maqbara or umbrella tombs) and enclosure tombs are also common Indo-Islamic features.
Tombs from the Mughul period are found on the southern side of the necropolis. These include the mausoleum of Mirza Jani and Mirza Ghazi Baig, the tomb of Nawab Shurfa Khan, the enclosure of Mirza Muhammad Baqi Tarkhan, the tomb of Mirza Jan Baba, and the restored tomb of Nawab Isa Khan Tarkhan the Younger.
Conservation
Makli Necropolis was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. The condition of the site has been harmed by the build-up of dirt and sand, people building too close to the area, not enough care from managers, damage by people, and trash and garbage. The floods in Pakistan in 2010 made the damage to the site worse.
Gallery
- Overview of the entire site
- Some monuments have corridors with roofs held up by carefully carved sandstone.
- Some mausolea, like the one for Dean Shurfa Khan, show strong design styles from Central Asia.
- Jam Nizamuddin II's tomb includes a jharoka that shows influences from Gujarat.
- The tomb of Isa Khan Hussain II is one of the most important monuments at the site.
- The Tomb of Mirza Jani and Mirza Ghazi Baig
- Quranic artwork on a decorated grave of a Sufi saint in the necropolis
- The canopy tomb of Daya Khan Rahu
- View of the Tomb of Jam Mubarak Khan
- View of the Nizam al-Din Tomb with a polygon-shaped pavilion
- The Tomb of Sultan Ibrahim
- The Tomb of Jan Baba.