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Makli Necropolis in Thatta, Pakistan. Image by A.Savin – Wikimedia

Top 10 Sensational Facts about Makli Necropolis

Makli Necropolis is an ancient Pakistani burial site near the city of Thatta. It spreads over an area of 10 kilometers near the city of Thatta, in the Pakistani province of Sindh. The site houses tombs built over 400 years.

Makli Necropolis is known for its particularly beautiful architecture, which was built and expanded from the 14th to the 18th century CE. The buildings in the necropolis have Hindu, Persian, and Asian influences.

Some parts of the site are in danger of degrading because of climate conditions and pilfering. It is currently possible for individuals to visit the area. It is a popular location for tourists, and it also remains a significant Sufi pilgrimage site.

1. It is a protected heritage site under law

Makli Necropolis in Thatta (Sindh, Pakistan): tomb of Diwan Shurfa Khan, interior A.Savin –

The Historical Monuments at Makli is a protected heritage site under the Pakistan Antiquities Act of 1975, passed by the Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Act  X of 2010 of the 18th Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan, gave the Government of Sindh full administrative and financial authority over all heritage sites within its provincial boundaries. The monument is placed under the Culture Department of the Provincial Government of Sindh for management, protection, and funding.

2. It is the largest funerary in the world

View of Makli. Image by Usman –

The Malki necropolis is so expansive and possesses approximately 500,000 to 1 million tombs spreading across a 10 km² area built over 400 years.  Its extensive nature makes it among the largest necropolises globally. In comparison, to Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery located in Iraq which is reputedly the biggest cemetery, the Malki Necropolis covers 4km² more.

3. The tombs of Malki Necropolis house various dynasties and dignitaries

Makli Necropolis. Image by Muhammad Saqib Khan –

 Makli Necropolis is the final resting place of some of the most powerful kings of the ancient world. Many urban legends are associated with this ancient burial ground.

Kings, queens, governors, saints, scholars, and philosophers are buried here in brick or stone monuments, some of which are lavishly decorated with glazed tiles.

The history of Malki as a burial site can be traced to Shaikh Jamali, the famous Sufi saint and a known poet who established a Sufi gathering site at Malki, and after his death, he was buried at the site. Jam Tamachi, a ruler in the 14^th century had enormous respect for the saint and wished to be entombed next to the saint, thereby beginning the tradition of using the location as a funeral site. Its prominence grew during the Samma dynasty whose capital was at Thatta after the area was designated a burial site.

4. The monuments at the Makli Necropolis infuse significant architectural designs

The view of the tomb of Jam Mubarak Khan in Makli. Image by Aziz Kingrani –

The unique assemblage of massive structures presents a special order of monumental buildings in different architectural styles. These structures are notable for their fusion of diverse influences into a local class.

These influences include, among others, Hindu architecture of the Gujrat style and Mughal imperial architecture. Distant Persian and Asian examples of architectural terra-cotta were also brought to Makli and adapted. An original concept of stone decoration was created at Makli, perhaps determined by the imitation of painted and glazed tile models.

The early tombs also demonstrate a rich culture known in the lower Sindh region as Chaukhandi style. The style involves the carving of sandstones into elaborate and unique designs. The designs used are phenomenally inspired by cosmology, weaponry, and information about the laid bodies.

5. The tombs at the site are clustered

in a smaller tomb in the Samma part of Makli necropolis near Thatta, Sindh. Image by Gajus –

Makli became the favored graveyard for kings, prominent people, and a few revered commoners when the Samma Dynasty came to power and their monument was built at the northmost point of the site.

The monuments were unique from dynasty to a dynasty as leaders such as the Arghuns and Tarkans later built their tombs to the south. The newest tombs were constructed at the southernmost parts of the site and are considered the best preserved arguably due to advancement in the field of embalmment.

6. The name Makli  has interesting tales of its origin

Many interesting tales exist about the name Makli. The most significant ones include one of the legends which point out that the name Makli is derived from the pilgrimage Mecca after one of the saints, Sheikh Hamad Jamali who described the city as his own little Mecca after having a deep spiritual encounter at the site.

Another story points out a holy woman named Mai Makli whose prayers that prevented which prevented Sultan Firuz Shah Tughlaq, of the Turkish Tughlaq Dynasty, from conquering the city of Thatta were answered by God.

7. The site is a holy landmark

Makli Necropolis. Image by Muhammad Saqib Khan –

Owing to the legendary spiritual encounters by pious individuals to whom the name Makli can be attributed, the site is considered holy especially in the Sufi faith and in the larger Pakistan.

One of the first people to be buried there was a Sufi saint named Hamad Jamali.  The site likely grew up around his shrine. Makli is supposedly the burial site of approximately 125,000 Sufi saints and other important individuals.

8. The site is frequented by devoted Muslims and Hindus

The site has 21 shrines that are frequented by devoted Muslims and Hindus. Pilgrims arrive at the site daily to make an offering, conduct burial rites or even seek insights from ancestors who were buried at the site.

9. The Makli Necropolis hosts six different kinds of monuments

A mosque in Makli Necropolis. Image by Muhammad Saqib Khan – Wikimedia

            The graveyard hosts six different kinds of monuments which include tombs Sufi learning spaces(khanqa), enclosures, canopies, mosques, and graves. 

10. It is a UNESCO world heritage Site

Makli Necropolis. Image by Muhammad Saqib Khan –

Despite the site having an immense religious significance to devotees, it has a high historical significance spanning four decades which makes it an attraction for tourists, archeologists, heritage lovers, and historians.