Thatta
Also known as Thattha, Tatta, Tata
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. Its construction was ordered by Jam Nizamuddin II in 1495. 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
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Place details
- Locality
- ٹھٹہ
- Region
- سندھ
- Country
- پاکستان
- Population
- 44,302
- Timezone
Travel guide
Understand
thumbnail|Shah Jahan Mosque was a gift to people of Thatta by that Mughal King Some believe Thatta is the same port city which was situated once on the Indus River during Indian campaign of Alexander the Great.
About four centuries ago, Thatta was a famous center of learning, arts and commerce and the capital city of three dynasties: Samma (1335 AD-1520 AD), Arghun (1520 AD-1555 AD) and Tarkhan Dynasty (1554 AD - 1591 AD). The city was later ruled by the Mughal emperors of Delhi from 1592 to 1739. Thatta was a prosperous and flourishing city in those days and the city was an important commercial and cultural centre. Thatta's importance started to decline when Sindh was given up to Nader Shah, the ruler of Iran (1736–1747), and after the capital was moved to Hyderabad in 1768, Thatta fell into neglect. But the three dynasties and the Mughals left their mark in the city in the form of unique architecture such as monuments of Makli and Shah Jahan Mosque, which was built during the golden age of the town.
Get in
Thatta lies on the National Highway # N-5, the longest highway in Pakistan, which travel via Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, and Hyderabad and continues to Karachi after passing Thatta.
The part of N-5 between Hyderabad and Karachi is not used very much nowadays, since the newer M-9 Super Highway has shortened the distance between two major cities of Sindh. Non-air conditioned buses and minibuses are easily available throughout the day both from the bus stations in nearby major cities of Karachi and Hyderabad and can also be hailed from the highway. A trip may cost Rs 150 and the journey can take less than 2 hours either way. Travel distance is 100 km either from Karachi or Hyderabad.
Get around
Rickshaws are ubiquitous in Thatta. They can be found on the street, around the main bus stop on N-5 and outside the attraction areas. Rickshaws are generally a cheap mode to travel as well the most available mode of transport in town and most preferred too. The town is not large so you should be able to get most places within 30 minutes at the most and Rs 200 should be enough to take you from one place in town to the other.
On the other hand, Thatta is a small town. Most of the restaurants and accommodation are situated on the main bus line on N-5 and distances can be easily covered simply by walking rather than hopping on a rickshaw unless your destination is not near. Some structures of tombs of Makli and remains of old houses are scattered inside the narrow streets of Thatta that are worth exploring on foot. Always ensure you walk on the footpath, or if one isn't available, as far to the side of the road as possible and on the right facing on-coming traffic.
~11 min read
Article
19 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Early
- Medieval
- Portuguese
- Mughal
- Kalhora
- Talpur
- British
- Modern
- Geography
- [[Hindu]] temples
- Climate
- Sports
- Notable people
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
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. Its construction was ordered by Jam Nizamuddin II in 1495. 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 the South Asia.
==Etymology== Thatta refers to riverside settlements. Villagers in the rural areas of lower Sindh often refer to the city as Thatta Nagar, or simply Nagar. The name of Thatta, one of the oldest towns, was derived from the Persian term Tah-Tah which literally means "layer over layer", signifying a settlement that has gone through various civilizations. Ḳāni, an 18th-century scholar, gave two theories regarding the etymology of Thatta. The first theory suggests that Thatta is a distortion of ‘Teh Teh’ which refers to the migration of people from northern cities to Thatta. The second theory suggests that the name originates from thatt, the Sindhi term for a place of gathering.
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