Historical Graveyard of Makli Hills

By Asif Raza Morio

Culturally Thatho has been attended most essential place in the history of sub-continent especially of the Sindh. If we have a dialogue about Thatho, than the chat of Makli’s Graveyard is constantly indispensable which since last centuries been stayed destined abode of the Saints, Kings, ministers, warriors, generals, elites of the time, women, children and common. Makli is a resting place in the historical city of  Thatho  dating back to centuries. The monuments and mausoleums in Makli are built from high quality stone, brick, and glazed tiles. Makli hills are placed on Pab and Harho Mountain, the two hilly branches of rocky range of Koh-e-Suleman which stretched from Pir Patho and is marching 10 miles toward Thatho in the west. This burial ground is actually peaceful resting place of those who people who once came here, live here, ruled, fight and died here. This principal graveyard of human history is located in the suburbs of Thatto nearly 98 kilometers east of Karachi city. The expense of this cemetery is eight kilometers which had particularly been allotted for memorial park of Samo, Argoon, Turkhan rulers, elites and princesses. It has been said that the cemetery contained graves of more than ten million Holly men even as the graves of common people are countless in number. This is among few largest cemeteries in the world where every grave has its own portion in it. This Graveyard has been given the shape of a city by constructing wide roads and amazingly thousand tombs founded here having doors to enter in. Makli, being supreme architectural site of 13 th and 14 th century in the shape of graves and tombs is added to the world heritage list by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1981. Upper surface of the area of Makli Hills is straight and lengthened 4 to 5 miles from North to South where the erection of ancient and broken tombs of graves are founded toward north to south direction. Kennedy has written in his book “Sindh Revisited” that “contained six miles in circumferences this is the biggest graveyard of Asia pacific where number of graves would not be less than ten lacs”. Unkind tides of time along with salty, briny and brackish compositions in and on the earth have damaged the foundations of majority of the constructions and inventive varieties decorated on the tombs but regardless of that external ornamentation and craftsmanship of Sindhi artists is not fully vanished. Remarkable combinations of arty crafts, paintings, engraving and impressive designs on stone bricks and wooden slabs are still resided charming and lovely. Makli Graveyard is very impressive and exemplary from construction point of view. Many tombs here are having first and second storied contained fabulous handicrafts, chisel work and embezzlement on each. The tombs and gravestones stretched over the cemetery are actually communal, cultural and political history of Sindh, where different historical periods of the rulers ruled Sindh can be seen on the graves specially those of the impressive royal mausoleums of the  Sammo , the  Arghun , the Tarkhan and the Mghals rulers. The Moghul period is represented by many tombs on the southern side of the graveyard, including the mausoleum of Mirza Jani and Mirza Ghazi Baig and of Nawab Shurfa Khan. The tomb of Jam Nizamuddin II is an impressive square structure built of sandstone and decorated with floral and geometric medallions is marvelous piece of architecture. The double storey mausoleum of Isa Khan Hussain II, with regal cupolas and terraces are also worth seeing. Tomb of Jan Beg Tarkhan has a typical octagonal brick structure whose dome is covered in blue and turquoise glazed tiles. Porch or canopy tombs are typical Indo-Islamic architectural features. Having seen such splendid and arty tombs one feels as if the designers of these graves must be great planners and very civilized as well who had more concern about the safety and peace of their dead relatives than alive people because not only extra money has been washed out for construction and decoration of their tombs but vision, craftsmanship, embellishment and classic approach of architecture alerted us that planners might have obtained spiritual joy for the construction of such amazing tombs of their ancestors, friends and lovers.

Stone slabs has been used as the pedestal foundation of the graves while rest of the construction was done with bricks from which reddish variety of bricks are splendid sample of kiln process which are equal in shape and sharpened four sides. Composition of Blue and Turquoise colors in the manufacture of tombs beautification is more than other colors which after use are not only crystallized but also given depth and attraction to decorated designs. Makli Graveyard can be called a big city of dead people. There are many Masques but without azan and prayer queues, history without books, a culture without a society. In this context though Makli has become an unsolved myth from different aspects but it is very astonishing fact of amazing history of graveyards that hundreds tombs and monuments founded in Makli are having different sizes of doors. Wide roads made up of bricks have been constructed to beautify the venues. This can also be called historical museum of the graves of different sizes, shapes, characters and varieties. Due to our national carelessness and negligence of state institutions with every passing moment embossed stone work, scripture of Quranic Verses, embellishments, decoration, unusual characters like weapons, daggers, crowns and swords, jewelry, ear rings, printings, pictures, toys, stars, sun, moon, geometrical marks and other ornamental figures which once ruled here are worsened their original uniqueness forever. Many other powerful sultans of the time came and gone leaving history of the wars, social work, buildings, adventures and Heroic deeds behind in shape of these dying monuments. Being very rich in historical beauty and cultural attraction Makli graveyard is a paradise for visitors and tourists tripped in Pakistan but unluckily deplorable state of this national heritage needed urgent sense of protection, preservation and maintenance.