Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam(Multan), History, Construction and Art work

 

 Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam(Multan), History, Construction and Art work

 

The history of Shah Rukn-e-Aalam's Tomb in Multan spans hundreds of years.  The white dome of mausoleum is like a shadow over the heads of the people of Multan.  This luxurious tomb is located in the Qila Qasim Bagh of Multan. It is attributed to the name of the great Muslim general Muhammad bin Qasim. This fort was built by Sultan Tughlaq during the reign of the Tughlaq sultans.  completed  Ghiyas al-Din (1320 AD) The tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam is a mirror of dignity, grandeur and noble glory.

 

 The beauty of this grand mausoleum had lost its beauty due to the successive invasions of foreign invaders and then a vast repair project was started under the supervision of the Department of Awqaf(Pakistan).  Archaeologist Khawaja Bashir Ahmad Naqshbandi worked as a junior engineer in this project and also received the Agha Khan Award for Architecture.  Restoring this dilapidated tomb back to its original condition was not an easy task, but this challenge was accepted by the renowned archaeologist of the time, Waliullah Khan and his team, and overcome all the impossible obstacles in the way.  Made it possible.

 

  This mausoleum was made with more than thirteen and a half lakh bricks and all the rotten wood of the mausoleum was also replaced.  All this work was completed in March 1978.  It can be said with great confidence that this mausoleum is the first of its kind in the subcontinent.  The tomb building of Shah Rukn is octagonal and its diameter is 49 feet and 3.5 inches and the walls are vertical while the total height of the tomb from the floor is 100 feet. But being on a mound, the total height of the tomb is 160 feet from the ground  is high.

This building has three floors, the height of the first floor is 41 feet and 3 inches while the thickness of the walls is 13 feet 10 inches to 14 feet 8 inches.  To support the walls, pillars are built at the back of the corner of each side and they protrude from the walls and take the form of a small dome as the first floor is finished.  The total length of these pillars is 53 feet and 3 inches.

 

 The first floor is decorated with decorative moldings from bottom to top, which were restored to their original form during the 1970s renovation.  Khurshid Ahmed has been working as a craftsman in this repair and even today he is preserving his memories in the form of photographs.  Everything was under the supervision of Waliullah Khan Sahib.  He got the photography done before the work started.  The reason was that the building remained in its original condition.  The height of the second storey is 25 feet 10 inches. Each side of this storey has a chamfered arched window decorated with kashti and tile work.

 

 On both sides there are four beautiful tile design flowers called Nokhani and Shamsha.  The third floor consists of a beautiful and attractive dome that can be seen from miles away. This magnificent dome is plastered with white lime, while below, there is excellent and amazing tile and stone work that is a sight to behold.  If you enter the enclosure of the shrine, you will see a charming view of the enclosure.

 

 There is a beautiful and heartwarming scene inside the mausoleum where there is a beautiful and heartwarming scene inside the mausoleum where there is the grave of Rukn-i-Aalam on a high platform.  There is a beautiful marble kathara around the four sides of this center, while there are 58 graves in four rows in the steps, which belong to the martyrs and caliphs.

 

 Inside the mausoleum, a fine and sophisticated network of wooden pillars has been laid, which is the reason for the strength of this building, which has protected this building from earthquakes and bombardments for hundreds of years.  This tomb is completely covered from the bottom to the ceiling and across the walls.

 

  Inside the shrine, there is a beautiful wooden arch on the western side, which is 11 feet high and 7 feet wide.  This arch is made of fine shisham wood, with fine engravings on the sides.  The wood work had decayed due to the passage of time and especially the inner arch on the western side was in a very dilapidated condition.  Its wood was procured from Peruwal forest, which is a government forest, and large shisham wood was used throughout the shrine wherever it was needed.

  There is also a beautiful mosque within the mausoleum, especially the arch area, which has been completely changed. Here, this mosque is also built with beautiful red fine bricks, while the fine tile work adds to its beauty.