Thatta rose under the Samma dynasty in the 14th century and became a rich port and centre of learning on the Indus delta, later ruled by the Arghuns, Tarkhans and Mughals.
The Makli necropolis covers about ten square kilometres and holds hundreds of thousands of graves. Its carved sandstone tombs, like that of Jam Nizamuddin II, mix Hindu, Gujarati and Persian styles in a way found nowhere else.
In the town, the Shah Jahan Mosque, finished in 1647, has 93 domes and acoustics so good that a voice carries across the whole prayer hall.
