Makli Necropolis
The town of Makli in is the south of Pakistan approximately 2 hours from Karachi. One would take the N5 east and drive the 100kms to the town of Makli. The graveyard is just off the highway and the juncture where Jungshahi Makli road meets the highway.
HERITAGE SITE | MAKLI NECROPOLIS
-
One of the largest graveyards in the world, the Makli necropolis developed into a burial location during the Samma Dynasty (1336 – 1524CE) by the ruler Jam Tamachi. It is narrated that a Sufi saint and poet, Shaikh Jamali had established his khanqah (a spiritual place of retreat) at the Makli Hill and was interred there upon his passing. The ruler Jam Tamachi revered the saint so much that he desired to be buried next to him. In this manner many others followed and the hill was taken as a burial ground.
-
The necropolis covers a 10km2 area and is believed to contain as many as half a million graves which span a 400 year period. The array of architectural styles and designs of the brick or stone monuments illustrate the different time periods that the graveyard has spanned. Being a sought after location to be buried, the graveyard is the resting place of many scholars, saints, noblemen and rulers.