Multan; The City of Saints

The ancient city of Multan is known as “The City of Saints” due to the large number of Sufis and shrines belonging to the city. It is situated near river Chenab, in Punjab province of Pakistan and is the capital of Multan district. The population of district is about 4 million.
During the famous Mahabharata war Multan was the capital of Trigarta empire. The ancient name of the city was Kashtpur. The recent name (Multan) has originated from the word Mitrasthana. It came under Muslim rule in 712 A.D when Muhammad Bin Qasim, at the age of 17, annexed Sindh. Before this annexation a Muslim general Mohlab also conquered the city in 664 A.D but this capture was not permanent. It also remained a part of Ghaznavid empire, Moughal empire, Durrani empire and the Punjabi empire ruled by Ranjit Singh. After the Anglo-Sikh war the British took over the city. Finally in 1947, upon the independence of Pakistan, it became a part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Following are a few of the most exciting places of Multan:

Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam:

One of the most remarkable shrines in Multan is the tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam. The tomb is an architectural marvel from the Pre-Moughal era. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the Sub-continent visit the shrine and pay homage to the saint. The dome of this beautiful building is the second largest in the world. The tomb was built by Ghias-ud-din Toughlak for his own self but after his death his son handed it over to the descendants of Shah Rukn-e-Alam.

Tomb of Yousaf Shah Gardezi:

The mausoleum of Yousaf Shah Gardezi is rectangular, domeless and decorated with glazed tiles. Shah Yousaf converted a number of locals to Muslims and according to a legend he arrived in Multan about nine hundred years ago, riding a lion, all the way from Gardez (Afghanistan).

Other Places:

Other beautiful places include Sun temple, shrine of Baha-ud-din Zikria Multani, shrine of Musa Pak Shaheed and the Suraj temple.