Makli : An Astonishingly Beautiful Historic Mystery of Pakistan

Makli Necropolis is one of the largest funerary sites in the world, spread over an area of 10 square kilometres near the city of Thatta, in the Pakistani province of Sindh. The site houses approximately 500,000 to 1 million tombs built over the course of a 400 year period. Makli Necropolis features several large funerary monuments belonging to royalty, various Sufi saints, and esteemed scholars. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 as an "outstanding testament" to Sindhi civilization between the 14th and 18th centuries.

Makli Necropolis is located in the town of Makli, which is located on a plateau approximately 6 kilometres from the city of Thatta, the capital of lower Sindh until the 17th century. It lies approximately 98 km east of Karachi, near the apex of the Indus River Delta in southeastern Sindh. The southernmost point of the site is approximately 5 miles north of the ruins of the medieval Kallankot Fort. 

Makli Necropolis occupies 10 square kilometres, housing at least 500,000 tombs. It stretches from Pir Patho at the southern end of the Makli Hills, northward in a roughly diamond shape.  Its eastern edge is formed by the Makli Hills ridge. The largest monuments are generally found at the southern edge of the site, though the Samma tombs are found in the north.

Makli Necropolis was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. The site's structural integrity has been affected by siltation, encroachment, poor site management, vandalism, and solid waste.  The 2010 Pakistan floods further compounded the site's deterioration.