Field guides / Punjab / ATTOCK TOMB
Field guide · Heritage
ATTOCK TOMB
The tomb is lying at Attock close to the G.
T. Road, having double dome, perhaps earliest of its type in this part of the country. The tomb is decorated with fresco paintings mostly in Cypress and floral designs. Two stair cases led to the roof of the tomb. The tomb is thickly plastered all over in lime and concrete.
Why go
- ✦A double dome, perhaps the earliest of its type in this region
- ✦Fresco in cypress and floral designs
- ✦Two staircases climbing to the roof
- ✦Thickly plastered throughout in lime and concrete
History
The double dome — an outer shell over an inner one, so the building can look tall outside and proportionate inside — was a Persian device that reached the subcontinent through Mughal building. If the attribution holds, this is where it arrived. The tomb is plastered throughout in lime and concrete and decorated with cypress and floral fresco, with two staircases to the roof.
Historical Significance
A candidate for the earliest double dome in the region, on the road that carried architectural ideas east from Persia.
Why Visit
For the dome. If you have seen the great Mughal domes further east, this is plausibly where the idea entered.
Interesting Facts
- The double dome is a Persian device: an outer shell over an inner one
- Cypress motifs dominate the surviving fresco
- Two staircases lead up to the roof
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, October to March.
Getting there, Strung along the Grand Trunk Road between Rawalpindi and Attock, roughly 40–80 km west of Islamabad. Hasan Abdal's monuments cluster together and pair naturally with Taxila.
Allow, Twenty to forty minutes each; a half day for the Hasan Abdal and Attock group.
What to Do
Make ATTOCK TOMB Part of a Trip
GreenPak resorts within reach, and the journeys that travel this region.
Nearby
Straight-line distance from ATTOCK TOMB, within 30 km.
