Photo: Directorate General of Antiquities, Government of SindhField guides / Sindh / Thatta, Makli & Keenjhar / Tomb of Nawab Shurfa Khan
Field guide · Heritage
Thatta
Thatta District · Sindh, Pakistan
Tomb of Nawab Shurfa Khan
The best-preserved and one of the most colourful tombs on Makli, built in 1639.
Diwan Shurfa Khan was a minister of Nawab Amir Khan, Mughal governor of Sindh under Shah Jahan. His tomb on Makli, built in 1639, is the best preserved and one of the most colourful buildings in the necropolis.
Why go
- ✦The best-preserved tomb on Makli
- ✦Red brick with blue-filled joints
- ✦A chevron-patterned dome interior
- ✦The 1642 mosque beside it
About
It is a massive square building under a Persian-style dome, once covered in light blue tiles, with a round tower at each corner containing a stair to the roof. The walls are unglazed red brick, with the joints filled in light blue, and the same colours carry inside, where bands of tile run at the base of the dome and glazed bricks radiate across its interior in a chevron pattern. A mosque built in 1642 stands to the west, on a similar plan, its brick courses alternating glazed and unglazed.
How to Reach
On Makli hill near Thatta, in the Mughal part of the necropolis.
Responsible Travel
Treat the site as protected heritage: do not scratch, climb or remove material, and follow caretaker instructions.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, November to February; open 8 am–7 pm in summer, 9 am–6 pm in winter.
Getting there, On Makli hill near Thatta, in the Mughal part of the necropolis.
Allow, Half an hour; half a day with the rest of Makli.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Tomb of Nawab Shurfa Khan, within 5 km.
