Shah Jahan Mosque

The mosque was built between 1644 and 1647 on the order of Shah Jahan, given to Thatta in gratitude for the shelter the city had offered him, and it is unlike his marble buildings at Agra and Delhi: this is a brick mosque, and its glory is tilework. Blue, turquoise and white glazed tiles cover the walls, arches and the interiors of the domes in geometric and floral patterns drawn from Persian and Timurid models by way of Sindh's own tile tradition. There are ninety-three domes, more than any other mosque in the country, and no minarets at all. The domes were built to carry sound: a speaker at the mihrab can be heard across the prayer hall without amplification, an effect visitors are usually invited to test. The building has been restored repeatedly, with mixed results, and remains in use for prayer.

What you actually see

• Blue and turquoise tilework - glazed decoration across walls and dome interiors.
• The ninety-three domes - the roofscape and the patterned undersides.
• The acoustics - sound carrying from the mihrab across the hall.
• The courtyard - the arcaded enclosure at the centre.

When to go

November to February; Sindh summers are extreme. Avoid the five prayer times, and expect Fridays to be busy. Morning light through the arcades is the best for photographing the tiles.

Honest expectations

Restoration quality varies and some replacement tilework is visibly cruder than the original. Sections may be scaffolded. It is a working mosque: modest dress, heads covered for women, shoes off. Thatta town itself is congested and has few facilities for visitors.

Nearby

Makli necropolis is on the ridge above the town; Keenjhar Lake lies north.