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Thatta
is also called Thatto in local language. It is a town in Sind
Province, ninety-eight kms (60 miles) East of Karachi, on the
National Highway, just west of the Indus River and the Arabian Sea
coast. Thatta was once called the El Dorando of the east. At one
time Thatta was important for being Sind's capital city and as a
center for Islamic arts. From the 14th century four Muslim dynasties
ruled Sind from Thatta, but in 1739 the capital was moved elsewhere
and with it Thatta declined. Thatta has a very rich heritage of
Muslim architecture during the era of the 16th and 17th century. The
history of Thatta goes back some 2000 years. It is now a mere
vestige of its former greatness as 16th-century capital of the Samma
dynasty in Lower Sind. It was Incorporated as a municipality in
1854.
It is believed that this was the place where
Alexander the Great rested his legions after their long march. The
remains of Thatta include the tombs, mausoleums and mosques. Some of
them are in a good state of preservation. The remains of Thatta
depicts their civilized sense.
The
surrounding region includes the barren and rocky Kohistan area and
the swampy deltaic land of the Indus. Sugarcane is the chief crop;
camel breeding is significant. Nearby excavations reveal occupations
dating from the first century B.C.
The Makli Hill near Thatta is the world largest
graveyard spread over 15.5 sq. kms, having millions of graves. Here
in eternal sleep lie kings, queens, Scholars, Philosophers and
soldiers of a by-gone era-an era renowned for its culture and
learning.
We can see the masterpieces of stone carvings over
the gravestones and mausoleums. These grave stones and mausoleum
stones represent the different era's and dynasties.
There are monuments of Summa period (14th to 16th centuries), the
Tarkhan & Arghun period (16th century), and the Moghul period
(16th to 18th centuries). You can examine the minute and delicate
workmanship on the tombs of famous Mughal governor's. The structure
is strong and beautiful exemplifying its immaculate beauty. The main
stone used in the construction of these monuments are; marble and
granites which have a tendancy to last for generation's. You could
easily see a rhythmic construction in these monuments.
The largest and the most impressive tomb among the
tomb's is the tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan who died in 1644. Isa khan
had constructed this tomb in his lifetime. After a partial
completion of that tomb, Isa khan cut off the hand's of most
talented craftsmen, so that no other emperor could engage them to
copy the same monument again. Besides the most preserved monuments
are, the tomb's of Mirza jani Beg, Mirza Tughral beg and Diwan
Shurfa Khan.
3.22
km away from Thatta is the Shah Jehan Mosque, which is the
masterpiece of mughal construction. This mosque was built by the
constructor of Taj Mahal in 1647 A.D. Build towards the middle of
the 17th century, this sets a glorious example of Muslim
architecture and heritage. This mosque was build by Mir Abdullah
under the order of The Mughal emperor, Shah Jehan. Shah Jehan mosque
is a superb example of crafty tile work. Its 93 domes and 33 arches
with varying sizes add to their architectural beauty. The domes have
been exquisitely laid in a mosaic of radiating blue and white tiles.
Thatta with so much offering poses to be a prime choice of visitors.
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