Multan, Pakistan's 5th most populous city,
is located in the South- East of Punjab's province, on the bank of Chenab
River. The city is geographically located in the area of 133 square kilometers. Multan is one of the
oldest city in the history of the world, dating back to 6000 years . Its old name was Mulasthana. At
that time, it was known as the hub of trade between Central Asia and South
Asia. During Mahabharata war, Multan was
the capital of Trigarta Kingdom and was referred to as Mulasthana.
In 712 AD, Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Multan and Sindh from Chach of Alor circa. After the bin Qasim's conquest, Multan came under
the Muslims rule.
Over the past few decades,
Multan has is popularly known as the City of Sufis. It is also called Madinat-ul-Auliya,
which means Madina of Sufies (Auliya), because there are a huge number of
tombs, and shrines of Auliya Allah located through out the city. The city of Multan
is blanketed with bazaars, mosques, shrines and
ornate tombs.
Baba Farid (Fariduddin
Masud) the famous Sufi master and the great Punjabi poet was also born in
Multan in 1580. Shah Yousaf Gardez, Bahauddin Zakria, Bibi Pak Daman and Shah
Rukn-e-Alam's Saints are also buried in this
city.
Travel Across Multan:
Multan has an arid climate with very hot summer, so it's
best to travel in spring or Autumn. It is the city which values art and architecture to a great extent. It has an
independent Airport. You can also visit the
shrines of saints. Popular attractions include Sun Temple, Multan Fort, Rukn-e-Alam, Multan Museum
and the Clock Tower. If you are
traveling from Karachi, contact Karachi Rent a Car Service group, with driver
or without driver whatever you want to begin your journey to the sufi city of
Multan.