Type: Monument - Tomb
Province: Sindh
District: Matiari
Period: Historic
Relative Chronology: 1526 - 1857 CE
Description: The shrine complex was built for Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in 1772 CE by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro to house the tomb of the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.The shrine complex includes a mosque and a mausoleum that open onto a large courtyard encircled by domed arcades by means of a large gateway. The complex is notable for being elaborately decorated with intricate tile work and glass in the traditional Sindhi style of blue and white floral patterns. It is a structure covered with traditional Iranian qashani tiles, glazed in the colours such as blue and turquoise. The final resting place of Shah Latif is under the main-dome of the building. His grave is enclosed by a carved wooden screen and lies under a beautifully painted fresco. Musicians are often seen serenading the constant trickle of devotees who visit the saint. It has been rebuilt and renovated many times from the time of its first construction until now. The final resting place of Shah Latif is under the central dome of the building. His grave is enclosed by a carved wooden screen and lies under a beautifully painted fresco. The building is a masterpiece of Islamic traditional art, the graves of the Sufi and some of his loved ones are covered with beautiful wooden structures. The ceiling of the tomb is decorated with beautiful geometrical patterns and lovely colours. Walls also have lovely engravings and geometric patterns. The shrine can be called the epitome of Sindhi culture and the ancient Sufi tradition. The shrine of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai is a living heritage site supported by traditional custodians who have received the legacy of preservation of the culture through a structured manner. The shrine is distributed into two concentric zones. The tomb acts as the centrifugal point around which the rest of the functions and activities configure. There are two courts i.e. inner court around the tomb and the outer court forming its periphery. The inner court marks the front to the tomb with the surrounding closed and semi open structures framing it. The three sides of the cubic structure of the Shah`s tomb are surrounded by a graveyard of the family, fakirs and followers of the saint, with the graves of the women of his family contained in a secluded area following the social norm of privacy. The music performers sit facing the main tomb entrance under a porch, their performance being a tribute to their beloved saint. Daily sama performances are held in the inner court. This portion was constructed under the orders of Ghulam Shah Kalhoro, then ruler of the Kalhoro dynasty. A mosque stands to the immediate north of the tomb with access to the resting hall and the langar kitchen courtyard to the south of the court. The boundary of the inner court contains the set of sacred spaces including the tomb and mosque. Ablution spaces at its edge highlight this, as one is expected to be clean when visiting the tomb, graveyard and the mosque. The tomb and the mosque are decorated with kashi tiles and covered with a prominent dome, each articulating their significance. The outer court of the shrine is a large space that acts as a transition space connecting the neighborhoods on the four sides of the shrine. This court was developed and shrine space expanded as a result, after the establishment of the Auqaf department. The court is lined by a peripheral wall of structures including a dispensary, public toilets, sabeel, bookshop, noubat khana, stall for bedding rental, shop keeping, musafir khana, complaint center and the office administration. The covered portico lining the outer court of the shrine also serves to accommodate a greater number of people in shady areas along with the multitude of functions. This defines the edge of the shrine on all sides. It is a transition space between the town and the shrine connecting to some of the prominent connecting streets of town / neighbourhoods. Entrances from four different cardinal directions connect the shrine with its old city neighborhoods. The outer court of the shrine is a multi-functional public space. It acts as a transition space between the more sacred inner court and tomb of the saint. It is also categorized as a sacred space nonetheless, as people take off their shoes outside this outer court. The outer court of the shrine acts as a backdrop for the structures constructed within. Each structure has an independent activity space and an interrelationship with respect to the courtyard. The courtyard is used as a place for people`s accommodation when a large number of people stay over on prominent days such as the Urs. The tomb of Shah Latif is a cubic structure within with a hemispherical dome. It was built a couple of centuries after the tomb of Humayun in Delhi, and bears several similarities. Its central bay is marked by a raised front, even though that is not the entrance into the tomb. The turrets or small towers at the corners of the structure are similar to the tomb of Humayun but proportionately different. The inner structure of the tomb with a dome is clearly visible. The tomb structure of this form metaphorically refers to the spiritual connection of the deceased between the Heaven, represented by the dome and circle, and the Earth, represented by the cube / square.
Latitude: 25.806005556
Longitude: 68.491522222
Ownership: AUQAF
Legal Status: Not Protected
Title of Publication: Miscellaneous
Published In: Miscellaneous
Year of Publication: Miscellaneous
Bibliography/Reference: Anonymous
