THATTA: The reactive monitoring mission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) is to visit the Makli necropolis towards the end of June this year to physically verify implementation of its recommendations regarding maintenance of the heritage site. The inspection would help Unesco take a decision whether to keep the necropolis — said to be the largest graveyard of the Islamic world dating back to the 14th century — on the list of the world’s endangered heritage sites or not, official sources told Dawn on Monday.

Unesco’s 10-day convention held in Istanbul, Turkey, in July 2016 had heard Pakistani delegates’ arguments over the protection, preservation and maintenance of the necropolis and allowed one year’s time and extended the deadline by another year to implement its recommendations in this regard.

Pakistan’s representatives were among the over 1,500 delegates from around the world who attended the convention.

Spread over nine square kilometres radius, the necropolis houses half a million tombs of the rulers and their families, as well as military commanders and other prominent figures of the era. The tombs and graves showcase the architecture of various dynasties of the 14th to 18th century.

The dynasties include Samma (1340AD to 1520AD), Arghuns (1520AD to 1555AD), Turkhans (1555AD to 1592AD), Mughals (1592AD to 1729AD) and Kalhora (1729AD to 1782AD).

Although, the work for the protection and preservation of certain monuments and other structures had been started as per the Unesco recommendations, much is yet to be done and unlikely to be completed by the given deadline.

For instance, construction of a four-kilometre-long boundary between Jungshahi road and the mausoleum of Shah Murad Shah Shirazi was started in 2016 but had to be stopped half way abruptly due to unknown reasons. Likewise, the repair work at several mausoleums could not be carried out under the supervision of experts and conservationists as was recommended.

One of the recommendations had called for preventing burials within the vicinity of the necropolis but no strict measures had been taken so far in this regard as people were continuing to bury their dead in certain portions of the site. These portions are taking shape of small community graveyards.

Unesco had expressed its concern over tilting of the Jam Nindo tomb and canopy of Jam Tamachi’s tomb and recommended immediate repair works but nothing could be done despite the fact that the Endowment Fund Trust-Pakistan (EFT-P) had offered its services to the culture department to carry out the work.

The EFT had also placed an amount of Rs3.5 million at the disposal of the culture department for the conservation and renovation work at the tomb of Deewan Shurfa Khan but no progress in this regard has been seen as yet, according to sources in the department. Conservationists and heritage lovers of the area have been in constant touch with the culture department and the relevant authorities to see that Makli necropolis does not become the third world heritage site of Pakistan to face Unesco action over lack of interest in properly preserving, restoring and looking after the site.

During their frequent visits to the site over the past two years, experts used to exchange views and offer comments while speaking to the local media men. They largely acknowledged that the provincial government, mainly the culture department, had been playing a proactive role in promoting the heritage sites at provincial, national and international levels during this period.

However, most visitors appeared dissatisfied with the pace and progress of the rehabilitation and preservation works being carried out on Unesco’s recommendations.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2018