Uch Sharif
Ancient Town Of Sufi Shrines; The Tomb Group Of Bibi Jawindi And Others Is On Pakistan'S UNESCO Tentative List · Uch Sharif, Punjab
Uch Sharif is an ancient town near the meeting of the Punjab's great rivers, and from the twelfth century onward it was one of the major centres of Sufi Islam in South Asia, drawing saints and scholars from Central Asia and Persia. Its reward is a group of tombs of remarkable beauty. The finest is the tomb of Bibi Jawindi, built in 1494: an octagon of brick covered in glazed blue and white tiles, with a corner tower at each angle. Half of it is gone. A flood of the river in 1817 washed away one side, and the building stands cut in two, its interior open to the sky, which makes it one of the most haunting monuments in Pakistan. Beside it stand the tombs of Baha al-Halim and of the architect who built them, and in the old town are the shrines of the saints Jalaluddin Surkh-Posh Bukhari and Makhdoom Jahaniyan Jahangasht, still visited by pilgrims. The tombs are on the UNESCO tentative list and remain threatened by salt, rain and neglect. Uch is remote and hot, and few visitors make the trip, which is a reason to.
Uch Sharif, Ahmadpur East Tehsil, Bahawalpur District, Uch Sharif, Punjab, Pakistan
The tombs can be visited during daylight hours; there may be a small fee or none. The living shrines are open day and night. Uch Sharif is about an hour and a half from Bahawalpur and a little more from Multan by road. Winter is the only comfortable season.