In Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh lies one of the largest necropolises in the world — the Makli graveyard, home to nearly half a million tombs and graves of royals, sufi saints and others, spread over an area of approximately 8km.

Famous kings, queens, governors, saints, scholars, and philosophers are buried here in brick or stone monuments. The unique structures found in this cemetery are notable for their intricate designs, motifs and tile-work.

The main credit for establishing Makli as a holy place for worship goes to the Samma dynasty, when Jam Tamachi ordered for the construction of a mosque here.

Among the outstanding monuments constructed in stone are the tombs of Jam Nizamuddin II, who reigned from 1461 to 1509. This unusual building is roughly laid out as a cube.

Tombs at Makli are embossed with Holy scripture of Quranic Verses. Male graves have weapons dagger and swords embossed on it while the female graves are differentiated through jewellery and block printing embellishments.

The integrity of the property is threatened by the significant decay caused by the local climatic conditions (earthquakes, variations in temperature, winds containing salts and humidity, heavy rains, natural growth) and the shift of the riverbed.

Today, Makli is a UNESCO World Heritage Site but is in dire need of conservation and maintenance.

Syed Kumail Hasan, a film graduate and a freelance photographer, is part of Dawn.com's Instagram community. To become a part of our community, follow us here and tag your photos with #dawndotcom. Follow Kumail Hasan on Instagram here