Attock Tomb

A double-domed tomb at Attock, close to the G.T. Road, perhaps the earliest of its type in this part of the country.

GPGreenPak Field GuidesSourced from Green Tourism Pakistan · 2 min read

The tomb is decorated with fresco paintings, mostly cypress and floral designs. Two staircases lead to the roof. 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.