Tiled dome and brickwork of a Pakistani monument

City · Punjab

Multan

Multan is a city of southern Punjab on the Chenab, one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the region, with a recorded history of more than two thousand years. It is known as the City of Saints for its Sufi shrines, including the 13th-century tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, and for its blue kashi tilework and Saraiki culture.

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The story of Multan

Multan was besieged by Alexander's army in 326 BCE and later became a major centre under successive dynasties. The tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, completed around 1324, is an octagonal brick structure with a large dome that became a model for later Punjabi shrine architecture. The city is a centre for blue pottery, camel-skin lamp work and mango cultivation, and summer temperatures regularly exceed 45°C.

What to see in Multan

Shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam
Octagonal Tughlaq-era tomb on the old fort mound.
Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya
13th-century Suhrawardi shrine beside it.
Multan Fort mound
The raised platform of the destroyed fort, with the Damdama.
Hussain Agahi bazaar
The old commercial street for pottery and crafts.

Landscape of Multan

The canal belt

Wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane across the doabs between the rivers.

Cholistan

Roughly 26,000 km² of desert with the dry bed of the Hakra river beneath it.

Salt Range

Low hills holding Khewra, the world's second-largest salt mine.

Rivers and lakes of Multan

Ravi

Lahore's river, and the boundary of the old Mughal city.

Chenab

The river of the Heer Ranjha and Sohni Mahiwal folk tales.

Head works

Barrages at Marala, Trimmu and Panjnad steer the canal system.

Food of Multan

Sohan halwa

Dense saffron sweet sold on Hussain Agahi road.

Multani mangoes

Chaunsa and Anwar Ratol from the surrounding orchards.

Heritage of Multan

Shah Rukn-e-Alam

A 1320s octagonal brick tomb, one of the largest of its kind.

Multan Fort mound

The remains of the citadel above the old city.

Blue tilework

Kashi glazing worked here since the 14th century.

Culture and crafts of Multan

Saraiki music

Kafi and dhamal sung across southern Punjab.

Wildlife of Multan

Markhor

The national animal, a wild goat of the northern ranges.

Snow leopard

Roughly 200–420 remain in the Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush.

Houbara bustard

A winter migrant to the deserts of Balochistan and Cholistan.

Best time to visit

November to February.

Getting there

Multan International Airport, the M-4 and M-5 motorways, and the main railway line.

Nearby places

Questions about Multan

Why is Multan called the City of Saints?+

Because of the density of Sufi shrines there, including those of Bahauddin Zakariya and Shah Rukn-e-Alam.

What craft is Multan known for?+

Blue kashi tilework and pottery, along with camel-skin lamps and embroidered khussa footwear.

Photographs of Multan

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