Thatta, about 98 kms (61 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.

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