Thatta

Thatta is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh. Thatta was the medieval capital of Sindh, and served as the seat of power for three successive dynasties. Thatta's historic significance has yielded several monuments in and around the city. Thatta's Makli Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is site of one of the world's largest cemeteries and has numerous monumental tombs built between the 14th and 18th centuries designed in a syncretic funerary style characteristic of lower Sindh. The city's 17th century Shah Jahan Mosque is richly embellished with decorative tiles, and is considered to have the most elaborate display of tile work in South Asia.LocationThatta is located in lower Sindh, on the N-5 National Highway, about 62mi east of the provincial capital of Sindh, Karachi. The historic town of 220,000 inhabitants is also located near the Indus River, and the Keenjhar Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Pakistan.EtymologySome suggested the name derived from the word Thab implying closeness of population, while others find its origin in the common word Thatta, a crowd or assembly of people.HistoryEarlyThatta may be the site of ancient Patala, the main port on the Indus in the time of Alexander the Great. The site of Patala has been subject to much debate. According to historian Ahmad Hasan Dani, director of the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations in Islamabad, Patala may refer to ancient Thatta based on Greek descriptions of the ancient city.