Field guides / Sindh / Chaukhandi Tombs
Field guide · Heritage
Chaukhandi Tombs
On the desert edge of Karachi, the Chaukhandi Tombs form a sandstone necropolis unlike any other in Pakistan, tiered stone platforms carved with dense friezes of horsemen, jewellery, weapons, and geometric patterns, spanning roughly the 16th to 18th centuries. Unlike Islamic funerary tradition elsewhere, the carving here verges on figurative, a regional style found in only a handful of sites in Sindh and Balochistan.
On the desert edge of Karachi, the Chaukhandi Tombs form a sandstone necropolis unlike any other in Pakistan, tiered stone platforms carved with dense friezes of horsemen, jewellery, weapons, and geometric patterns, spanning roughly the 16th to 18th centuries. Unlike Islamic funerary tradition elsewhere, the carving here verges on figurative, a regional style found in only a handful of sites in Sindh and Balochistan.
Why go
- ✦Sandstone tombs with figurative carving
- ✦Friezes of horsemen, jewellery, and weapons
- ✦16th-18th century Baloch and Sindhi funerary style
A Distinct Funerary Art
The elaborate figurative carving at Chaukhandi is unusual for Islamic funerary monuments, and its exact origins are debated, likely tied to the Jokhio and Baloch tribes who once controlled this stretch of coast.
Plan It with GreenPak
A worthwhile stop for anyone based in Karachi with an interest in Sindh's lesser-known heritage sites, use Plan a trip to combine it with other Karachi-area sights.
Planning tip
When to go, November to February, avoiding Karachi's intense summer heat.
Getting there, On the National Highway toward Hyderabad, about 30 minutes from central Karachi.
Allow, 1-1.5 hours.
