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Multan (Pakistan) is one of the oldest cities in the world and was a major center of Sufism in the middle of the last millennium. Today, the shrines of the saints are a reminder of that glorious bygone era. Here, I have captured the most magnificent of them all: the shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam. A masterpiece of pre-Mughal architecture, it is an octogonal structure with three tiers built entirely of red brick. Built at the site of the former Multan Fort, it commands an elevated location with sweeping views of the city below. My favorite monument in a country gifted with many.
Hitachi built HBU 20 #8043 Class Alco departs Golra Sharif on 10th November 2025 with train 130DN 07h00 Rawalpindi to Multan Cantt “Thall Express”.
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The tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam was built between 1320 and 1324, is an unmatched pre-Moghul masterpiece. The Mausoleum of Rukn-i-Alam could possibly be considered as the glory of Multan.
From whichever side the city is approached, the most prominent thing that can be seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine of the saint. The tomb is located on the southwest side of the Fort premises. This elegant building is an octagon, 51 feet 9 inches in diameter internally, with walls 41 feet 4 inches high and 13 feet 3 inches thick, supported at the angles by sloping towers. Over this is a smaller octagon 25 feet 8 inches, on the exterior side, and 26 feet 10 inches high, leaving a narrow passage all round the top of the lower storey for the Moazzan, or public caller to prayers. The whole is surmounted by a hemispherical dome of 58 feet external diameter. The total height of the building, including a plinth of 3 feet, is 100 feet. As it stands on the high ground, the total height above the road level is 150 feet.[4]
Besides its religious importance, the mausoleum is also of considerable archaeological value as its dome is reputed to be the second largest in the world. The mausoleum is built entirely of red brick, bounded with beams of shisham wood, which have now turned black after so many centuries. The whole of the exterior is elaborately ornamented with glazed tile panels, string-courses and battlements. Colors used are dark blue, azure, and white, contrasted with the deep red of the finely polished bricks.
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April 2012,
Nikon D800,
Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8@14mm,
f/5, 1/1000s, 100 ISO,
GP-1 GPS Module
Shah Rukn e Alam was born in Multan on Friday, 26 November 1251. He was the grandson and successor of Sheikh Baha-ud-din Zakariya. He was buried in the mausoleum of his grandfather, according to his own will. After sometime, however, his coffin was transferred to the present mausoleum.
The saint is still revered today and his tomb is the focus of over 100,000 lovers from all over South Asia. The tomb was built between 1320 and 1324 in the pre-Mughal architectural style. The tomb is said to have built by Ghias-ud-Din Tughlak (r.1320-1325 AD) during his governorship of Depalpur, between 1320 and 1324. In the 1970s, the mausoleum was thoroughly repaired and renovated by the Auqaf Department. The entire glittering glazed interior is the result of new tiles and brickwork done by the Kashigars of Multan. The tomb is on the tentative list as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.