Thatta is about 95 kilometers east of the Port of Karachi. This historic town of some 22 thousand residents was the capital of three dynasties before it was ruled by Delhi's Mughal emperors. The remains of the ancient glorious city illustrate the civilization of ancient Sindh. Located near Pakistan's biggest freshwater lake, its monuments are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Chaukani are tombs from the 15th to 18th Centuries that are scattered across a large area at Thatta. Each tomb is different, and their sandstone carvings illustrate the relationships between the local tribes and their neighbors in Iran, central Asia, and Turkey. Banbhore, excavated in 1962, is the place where Alexander the Great established a town in 325 BC and where the first Muslim conqueror arrived in 711 AD. The Jamia Masjid was built by Moghal Emperor Shah Jehan, the creator of the Taj Mahal. Dating from the 15th to 17th Centuries, the Makli Tombs represent a huge 15.5 square kilometer necropolis with exquisite architecture, stone carvings, and glazed tiles.
The National Museum of Pakistan, located in the Port of Karachi, focuses on the cultural history of the country. Its displays include archaeological artifacts, Islamic art, and historical documents. The museum has 11 galleries, including 52 rare manuscripts of the Holy Qur'an in the Qur'an Gallery. Other galleries cover the mysterious and ancient Indus Civilization, sculptures from the Gandhara civilization, ancient coins, precious Islamic art, miniature paintings, and many manuscripts telling the story of Pakistan's political beginnings. The Ethnological gallery contains life-size statues of the ethnic groups living today in Pakistan's four provinces. Visitors should set aside several hours to explore this wonderful museum.
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