Main Info
Makli graveyard, one of the eight World Cultural Heritage Site in Pakistan is perhaps the largest necropolis in the world. Extending even beyond its present day limits, it has no less than a million graves some of them distinguished by the provision of canopies, tombs or simple perimeter walls enclosing their groups. Some of the dead lying here are to this day revered so much that people in large numbers visit them to find not only spiritual solace but also terrestrial gain by invoking holy vow at their living shrines.
The new form of architecture in the shape of tombs and shrines big and small now occur in thousands of numbers all over the length and breadth of Sindh. The most striking however is the Makli hill monuments which present perhaps the largest ensemble of the memorials of the dead in the whole world. The necropolis of Makli witnessed rise and fall in the fortunes of the region over hundreds of years has constantly served as cemetery and is now full of graves, tombs of the saintly persons, kings and kingly chiefs as also less important mortals.
The tomb architecture at Makli hill displays a variety of influences at work in the development and execution of designs both in stone and bricks. The mere large number of such tombs at one place make the unique necropolis stand out to take an important place in the cultural evolution of the five thousand year old history of Pakistan.
To reach at Makli graveyard is easy by using three options of routes. The closes airport is Karachi on opposite direction from Makli, it is preferred air destination for frequency of flights and easy road access. The other option is National Highway originating from Karachi and connects Makli and onward Thatta. Makli necropolis is roughly 100 km from Karachi. The public and private transport takes about two hours from Karachi. The National Highway touches almost main entrance of the Makli necropolis. The third option available through Pakistan railway, the Jungshahi railway station on the main Pakistan railway Karachi – Kotri section serves Makli. The distance between railway station and necropolis is about 22 km through any public transport.
