Tomb of Isa Khan Tarkhan-II

It is located in the Makli Hills necropolis at Thatta on the north of Mirza Baqi Baig’s tomb. The mausoleum of Isa Khan II - the Governor of Thatta under the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan between 1627 and 1644 CE. was the cousin of Mirza Ghazi Beg and grand-son of Isa Khan – I the independent ruler of the lower Sindh. He died in 1644 CE at the ripe age of 90 and was buried in this mausoleum said to have been erected by him during his life time. The mausoleum is a magnificent two storeyed building erected in the centre of a square courtyard enclosed by high stone walls. The built area in the centre of the courtyard is spread over 455 sq.m. The grave chamber is built over a high plinth or platform with an open verandah running on all its four sides on both lower and upper storeys. The upper storey of building is supported by as many as 55 square stone pillars with bases and honeycombed capitals, while similar numbers of stone pillars support the surrounding verandahs. The four sides of all these pillars are carved with multiple scrolls. The frontons of the galleries on all the four sides have nine openings arranged in a trabeated system on both lower and upper storeys. However, the openings in the centre in the second storey are designed in an arcuate system having the central arch bigger and higher than those flanking it, augmented with knobs suspended with the outer fringe of the intrados. The central façade of this arcuated frame is crowned with a high oblong panel having inscriptions carved in bold Naskh and Suls styles. Enclosed by these elaborate verandah galleries, the tomb-chamber itself is square on plan and has three entrances arranged with identical flat door-frames, the side ones being screened with stone jails. As many as ten graves exist in the chamber. The stone cenotaphs which are arranged in a long platform in the centre, have exquisite carvings, inscriptional, floral and geometrical. The tomb chamber is surmounted with a pronounced dome. Within the open courtyard are some more burials, specially the enclosure on the south corner which has three graves of the zenana. On the eastern side within the pillared gallery in the ground floor are the staircases leading to the upper gallery. Along the western wall in its centre is located the musalla in the shape of an elaborate arched recess against the stone-paved platform. The mihrab arch and the area flanking it, both internally as well as externally, have been faced with carved stone panels. The two sides of the mihrab recess have been augmented with decorative pillarets. The central chamber containing the graves is crowned with a dome while the four sides have spacious varandahs supported by stone pillars, exquisitely carved with filigree design sand topped by honey-combed capitals. The entire mausoleum and its apartments are constructed in yellow sand-stone and both the inner and outer surfaces are carved with delicate tracery.