Tomb of Bhawal Haleem

History

Uch was a centre of Sufi learning from the twelfth century onward, home to the Suhrawardiyya and later the Qadiriyya orders. The tombs on its mound were raised through the fifteenth century in a distinctive local manner: octagonal, banded in cut brick and glazed tile, on a core of mud mortar.

Historical Significance

One of the five Uch Sharif monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list since January 2004.

Architecture

An octagonal tomb with engaged turrets at each angle, their upper halves long since fallen. The decoration runs in bands — plain cut brick alternating with glazed tile and tile mosaic — with glazed terracotta pieces of varying size and shape embedded in thick lime mortar, while the structure itself is laid in mud mortar. The entrance opens from the south-west octagon through an elaborate opening, and the interior carries large, deeply recessed arched panels faced in glazed tile.

Why Visit

The banding on the turrets is the clearest surviving demonstration of how the Uch tile system was put together.

Interesting Facts

• Uch was made the principal city of Upper Sindh in 1204
• The Suhrawardiyya and Qadiriyya orders were both established here
• The tombs are laid in mud mortar with the tilework set into thick lime