Thatta

The historic town of Thatta is situated at a distance of 100km (60 miles) from Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan. Population is about 22000. The biggest lake of Pakistan known as the Keenjhar Lake is also present in it's proximity. People from all over Pakistan come here to see the monuments and tombs present here. A number of these monuments are on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

The history of Thatta dates back to the 14 century when it was the capital of Lower Sindh region. Later on during the reign of Soomro tribe, Thatta was made the capital of whole of Sindh. From 1592 to 1739 it remained under the Moughal throne. Then in 1739 Nadir Shah, the reckless ruler of Persia, occupied it. Following are some remarkable places of this city:

Shah Jehan Mosque:

Moughal empror Shah Jehan, also known as the builder king due to his architectural intellect, built this mosque in 1674. The mosque has been built with red bricks and blue colored glazed tiles. It has 33 arches, 100 domes and no minaret. It is regarded as the largest mosque in the world with such number of domes and has been built in such a manner that sound of Imam can be heard in every corner of the mosque without any loud speakers. On the whole the mosque, with it's combination of red and blue, looks like an enormous Mosaic!

Makkli Hills:

Makkli is a burial place covering an area of 8km diameter. It started from the shrine of fourteenth-century Sufi, Hamad Jamali. Gradually the cemetery grew around the shrine and it became one of the largest necropolises in the world with the graves of some 125,000 Sufi saints. Imperial mausoleums are also present in the cemetery which are divided into two major groups, those from the Samma (1352–1520) and Tarkhan (1556–1592) periods. The tomb of the Samma king, Jam Nizamuddin II (reigned 1461–1509), is an impressive square structure built of sandstone and decorated with floral and geometric medallions. Similar to this is the mausoleum of Isa Khan Tarkhan II (d. 1651), a two-story stone building with majestic cupolas and balconies. In contrast to the syncretic architecture of these two monuments, which integrate Hindu and Islamic motifs, are mausoleums that clearly show the Central Asian roots of the later dynasty. An example is the tomb of Jan Beg Tarkhan (d. 1600), a typical octagonal brick structure whose dome is covered in blue and turquoise glazed tiles.

Tomb of Prince Ibrahim Bin Mirza

Moenjodaro; The City of Dead

The word “Moenjodaro” means “The City of Dead”. This ancient city was discovered in 1922 by a British archaeologist Sir John Marshal. It belonged to the great Indus valley civilization which came into existence about 5000 years ago in the region irrigated by river Indus and it's tributaries, the region is now called Pakistan.

Moenjodaro was a well-built and developed city with almost all the streets 33 feet wide, a proper system of sanitation and well-planned market places. Its script has not been deciphered. It is believed that most of the people of this city worshiped idols because numerous idols were found during the excavation. Some of these idols were wearing cotton clothes which proves that the people of dead city were well versed in weaving cotton. They had trade links with far off places and imported Copper, Silver, Bronze and Tin from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Kharasan as the Indus valley itself didn't produce these metals. These metals were then used to prepare weapons, jewelry and other items of daily use. Probably the use of iron was not known to the people of ancient city. Their attitude towards the battle field shows that they were very peace loving. As a result the invaders from Central Asia conquered their land and many of the aborigines fled to other parts of Sub-continent.

Moenjodaro was situated at the bank of river Indus and it is believed that floods caused its destruction about 2500 years ago. Today the city is visited by tourists and archaeologists from all over the world. It is located in District Larkana at a distance of about 28 km from Larakana and 107 km from sukkur. It lies on 27o 19' 30.36" North latitude and 68o 08' 08.77" East longitutide at an elevation of about 164 ft from sea level. The articles from the ancient cities can be seen in all the major museums of Pakistan. The government of Pakistan is striving to preserve this national asset. It seems that in addition to the river Indus there was another large river which parallel and west of the Indus in the third and fourth millennium B.C. This was the ancient Ghaggra-Hakra River or Sarasvati of the Rig Veda. Its lost banks are slowly being laid out by researchers. Along its bed, a whole new set of ancient towns and cities have been discovered.

The Ancient Gandhara

The Indus Valley Civilization came into existence about 5000 years ago. A number of invaders from Central Asia, Afghanistan and ancient Greece attacked this beautiful land and influenced the local art and culture. As a result a mixed culture cropped up and a magnificient art flourished in the reign of Maharaja Kanishk. The kingdom of maharajah was called Gandhara. It was situated in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar platue and on the Kabul river. Today the area stretching from Peshawar to Rawalpindi in the north of Pakistan is considered as Gandhara.

The capital of this ancient kingdom was Taxila. It was considered as the center of cultural activities and education. A grand university was also present here. People from all over the subcontinent visited the place for trade and to quench their thirst for knowledge. The ancient kingdom excelled in the field of fine arts specially in the making of stone statues. The statues of Mahatama Gautam Budha are quite impressive and tourists from all over the world visit this place to see these magnificent pieces of art. The cultural outlook of the place was superb even 2500 years ago but the invaders caused a lot of devastation and the Gandharan civilization came to an end. Jayapala was the last great king of this dynasty. His empire extended from west of Kabul to the river Sutlej. However, this expansion of kingdom coincided with the rise of the powerful Ghaznavid Empire under Sabukatigin. Defeated twice by Sabukatigin and then by Mahmud of Ghazni in the Kabul valley, Jayapala committed suicide. Anandapala, a son of Jayapala, moved his capital near Nandana in the Salt Range. In 1021 the last king of this dynasty, Trinocanapala was assassinated by his own troops which spelled the end of Gandhara.


Mardan the Frontier's largest city is called the land of Gandhara as it was the center of this civilization. The remains of civilization include Takht-i-Bhai, Sehri Bahlol, Shahbaz Garhi, Jamal Garhi, Sawal Dher, Mrkha Sanda etc. The Takht-i-Bhai archeological site is one of the most magnificent of Buddist remains in Pakistan. It is situated at the Mardan-Swat road at a distance of 13km from the city and is accessible from Islamabad and Peshawar, thanks to the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway. Pieces of Gandhara art can be seen in all the major museums of Pakistan, specially the Taxila museum. The city of Taxila is only 40km away from the Rawalpindi city and can easily be approached either by plane or by road. The government of Pakistan is striving to preserve this national asset.

The Great Rohtas Fort

Rumored to be imperishable, the great strong hold of Rohtas was built by Sher Shah Suri to crush the local Potohar and Gukkhar tribes and to prevent Emperor Hamayun from entering Shah,s domains. It has been built on the Grand Trunk Road at a distance of 16 km from Jehlum (a site chosen by Sher Shah himself), blocking the route from Quetta to Lahore. The fort is a beautiful blend of Indian and Pakhtun architecture. The elements of Hindu architecture include balconies and decorations while the utilitarian style of construction has been taken from Pakhtun architecture.

The fort has twelve gates including four trap gates which are in the direct line of fire of the bastions built at irregular intervals. It can accommodate a 30000 strong force. The length of outer wall is 5.2 km while it's height ranges from 10 to 18 meters. The fortress is irregular in it's shape. The cost of construction of Rohtas Fortress was about Rs. 3425000 as per Waqiat-e- Jahangiri. The 12 gates are a s follows: 1. Sohail Gate, 2. Kabuli Gate, 3. Shishi Gate, 4. Langar Khani Gate, 5. Talaqi Gate, 6. Khwas Khani Gate, 7. Gatali Gate, 8. Tulla Mori Gate, 9. Pipalwala Gate, 10. Sar Gate, 11. Shah Chandwali Gate, 12. Mori or Kashmiri Gate. There are 3 Baolis in the fort. These were made by cutting deep into the lime rock. Near the Kabuli gate there is a mosque named as the Shahi Masjid. The mosque has been decorated with beautiful round designs in which Islamic verses are written in Naqsh script. The stone carvings and calligraphic pieces of art are truly remarkable. For decorational purposes glazed tiles and plaster have also been used. Stunned by it's splendor and strength the Emperor Jehangir said:

“This fort was founded in a cleft and the strength of it cannot be imagined”



The fort was designated a World Heritage Site in 1997. Rohtas fort can be visited easily from Lahore via the Grand Trunk Road.

Indus Valley Civilization

Introduction:

The Indus Valley Civilization originated nearly 5000 years ago in the area irrigated by the mighty Indus River and it's tributaries. This land is presently known as Pakistan. Two major archeological sites which remind us of this once-great civilization are Moenjodaro and Harrapa. These sites were discovered as a result of an excavation carried out under the supervision of a British archeologist Sir John Marshall, in 1922.

Moenjodaro means City of the Dead. It is situated at a distance of 27km from Larkana, in Sindh. Harrapa is a site 24km away from the city of Sahiwal, in Punjab. In spite of a distance of 650km between the two cities, both are similar many ways. The people of these cities were very civilized and urbane. Indus Valley Civilization came to an end about 2500 years ago as a result of floods.

Architecture:

An impressive architectural taste is visible in the buildings of the Indus Valley Civilization. The cities were well planned and were developed on large areas. Most of the roads were 33feet wide. Proper sanitation and drainage system was present and the drains were kept covered. Every house had a bathroom and a well. Basements were built to counter with the harsh weather conditions. God owns were used for storage purposes. In short the cities of Moenjodaro and Harraapa reveal the engineering skill and vast knowledge of its inhabitants.

Religious Beliefs:

During the excavation a number of idols made of metals, wood, clay and stone were discovered. Therefore it is believed that most of the people of ancient Indus Valley Civilization worshiped idols while the others worshiped sun, moon and the stars. Special temples for collective prayers were also present. The dead were buried in grave yards.

Dressing and Fashions:

Archeologists say that the people of Moenjodaro and Harrapa were quite trendy. Jewelry and garments were weaknesses of the ancient women. A machine resembling a spinning wheel has also been discovered. Some of the idols found from Indus Valley were wearing cotton outfits which shows that the people of ancient cities were well versed in weaving cotton. Ornaments including bangles, rings, ear rings etc were imported from Central Asia.

Weapons and Wars:

The people of Indus Valley were not bellicose at all and loved peace. This is clear from their attitude towards the battle field. Consequently, the warriors from Central Asia conquered the Indus valley and a number of these warriors settled here permanently. The native people fled to other parts of sub-continent. People of ancient Moenjodaro and Harrapa used swords, knives, daggers and axes in the battle. Copper and Bronze were the two main metals used to manufacture weapons.

Trade and Commerce:

It is believed that the people of this civilization had a strong system of trade. The traded with far off nations. Although the ancient valley didn't produce metals like Silver, Bronze and Copper but articles and jewelry made of these metals were quite common in Moenjodaro and Harrapa. These metals were probably imported from Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia and Kharasan. The native people traveled frequently for business and trade.

Fauna:

The walls of ancient cities of Moenjodaro and Harrapa bear paintings of various animals like snakes, lions, buffaloes, fish, elephants and birds like eagles , sparrows and pigeons which shows that these animals existed in the area. Some seals and coins also have sketches of animals and birds engraved on them.