Multan: The Shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam

📍 Multan: Where the Desert Meets Devotion Pakistan’s 7th largest city, cradled by the Chenab River, has been:Southern Punjab’s spiritual heartbeat for 5,000 years,A Sufi pilgrimage nexus where qawwali echoes through blue-tiled shrines.The "Mandi Bahauddin" of Rumi’s poetry (some claim he wrote of Multan’s mystics!) 🕌 Shah Rukn-e-Alam’s Tomb: A Masterpiece of Faith & Geometry 🌠 Sacred Legacy Who Rests Here: Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fateh (1251-1335), the Suhrawardiyya order’s torchbearer,Royal Drama: Built as a future tomb for Ghias-ud-Din Tughlaq, but gifted to the saint’s family after the emperor’s sudden death 🏛️ Architectural Poetry Octagonal Base: Each side represents a stage of Sufi enlightenmentCobalt & Terracotta: Persian-blue tiles spell Allah’s 99 names in Kufic script Hidden Symbol: The dome’s 65-foot height matches the saint’s age at passing ✨ Pro Tip: Visit at sunset when the tiles glow like lapis lazuli—photographers swear by the 5:30 PM light! 🌀 Multan’s Sufi Trail (Beyond Rukn-e-Alam) 1️⃣ Baha-ud-Din Zakariya’s TombGolden Dome that inspired Lahore’s Badshahi Mosque🌃Thursday Nights: Qawwali sessions that last till dawn 2️⃣ Shams-e-Tabriz’s ShrineWhere Rumi’s spiritual mentor once preached Secret Ritual: Devotees tie threads on the jali screen for wishes 3️⃣ Shrine of Shah Yusuf Gardezi:Green-tiled sanctuary with a 900-year-old tamarind tree said to heal illnesses 🎨 Multan’s Living Traditions:Blue Pottery: Watch artisans craft cobalt vases using 12th-century techniques (buy at Bohar Gate)Sohan Halwa: The city’s golden dessert, slow-cooked in copper pots for 8 hours (Hafiz Sweets is iconic) Multani Khussa: Embroidered leather shoes worn by Sufis—Bazaar Chowk has the best deals 📅 When to Visit October-March: Pleasant 18°C days, perfect for shrine-hopping✨Urs Festivals: Sufi death anniversaries transform tombs into drumming, dancing spectacles💎Pro Tip: The Rukn-e-Alam Urs (January) sees 500,000 pilgrims—book hotels 3 months ahead! 🚗 Getting There✈️By Air: Islamabad → Multan (1hr flight, then 20min taxi)🚗By Road: Lahore → Multan via M-4 Motorway (4hrs, stop at Kabirwala’s mango orchards) #Multan #Pakistan#trip diary#travel guide#Shah Rukn-e-Alam#Pakistan travel