Thatta is a small town in Sind Province, situated ninety-eight kilometers east of Karachi on the National Highway. Thatta is on the west of the Indus River and also the coast of Arabian Sea.
Thatta - History
Thatta was once known as the El Dorado of the east. The history of Thatta dates back to 2000 years. It was atone time an important city as the capital of Sind and also as the center of Islamic arts. The city was ruled by four Muslim dynasties from the 14th century. The capital was transferred elsewhere in 1739 and Thatta lost its shine. Presently it is a municipality, incorporated in 1854.
Thatta in Karachi has a rich heritage of Muslim architecture dating back to 16th and 17thcentury. It is said that Alexander the Great made Thatta as his resting ground for his people. Present Thatta has the remains of the tombs, mausoleums and mosques. The remains prove the civilized sense of the people of that time. Many of the remains are in good state.
The region surrounding Thatta has barren and rocky Kohistan area as well as the swampy delta of the Indus. The chief crop of Thatta is Sugarcane, though camel breeding is also rampant.
The Makli Hill which is near Thatta is the largest graveyard which is spread on 15.5 sq km and has about millions graves. The place has the graveyard of kings, queens and scholars. The place is also the burial ground of philosophers and soldiers of ancient times.
There are many masterpieces of stone carvings on the gravestones and mausoleums here. They date back to different times and dynasties. One can see monuments of Summa period from 14th to 16th centuries, the Tarkhan and Afghan period of 16th century and the Mughal period of 16th to 18th centuries. Marble and granite are the main stones used for construction of these monuments. The structures are very strong and reflect an inherent beauty. The largest of these structures is the tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan, who died in 1644. Isa Khan cut off the hands of the craftsmen so that no other kings could use them to construct the same types of tomb. Another structure is the Shah Jehan Mosque at a distance of 3.22 km from Thatta, which showcases the master piece of Mughal construction. It was built in the middle of 17th century by the constructor of Taj Mahal. It is a glorious construction of Muslim architecture.
travel.mapsofworld.com provides online information on Thatta as well as other Karachi Tourist Attractions
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