Thatta is a historic town of 22,000 inhabitants in the Sindh province of Pakistan, near Lake Keenjhar, the largest freshwater lake in the country. Thatta's major monuments are listed among the World Heritage Sites. Due to its proximity to the huge port of Karachi, the picturesque old town is frequented by visitors, especially on weekends.
Thatta, about 98 kms (62 miles) east of Karachi. At one time Thatta was important as Sind's capital city and as a centre for Islamic arts. From the 14th century four Muslim dynasties ruled Sind from Thatta, but in 1739 the capital was moved elsewhere and Thatta declined. It was believed that this was the place where Alexander the Great rested his legions after their long march. The town is dominated by the Great Mosque built by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jehan which has been carefully restored to its original condition. The mosque's 33 arched domes give it superb acoustics and the tile work, a whole range of shades of blue, is equally fine. Situated on the outskirts of the new town it is surrounded by narrow lanes and multi-story houses made of plaster and wood which are top by badgirs, the wind catchers designed to funnel cool breezes down into the interiors of buildings. They are also quite common in Hyderabad. 
The bazaars of Thatta are known for hand-printed fabrics, glass bangles and Sindi embroidery work in laid with tinny mirrors, one of the more world known handicrafts of Pakistan. Thatta is a fascinating town which appears to have scarcely moved out of the 18th century and is only slowly catching up with the modern world.
History
The city, formerly commanding the delta of the Indus, was the capital of Lower Sindh from the 14th century. Since 1592, it was governed in the name of the Mughal emperors of Delhi. After the province was ceded to Nadir Shah of Persia in 1739, Thatta has fallen into neglect.
Sights
Thatta's monuments include the Jama Mosque (also Shahjehani Mosque and Badshahi Mosque), built by Shah Jahan in 1647-49 and lined with glazed tiles. This edifice has 101 domes and is designed in such a way that imam's voice can reach every corner of this building without the help of any loudspeaker or other device.
There are also the tombs of Jam Nizamuddin (reigned in 1461-1509), several Tarkhan rulers and Mughal officials. A vast old necropolis with thousands of graves may be found at the nearby Makli Hills.
