Multan Travel Guide
Multan is a city that holds its history close, and I mean that almost literally. Known across Pakistan as the city of saints, it has been a trading and religious crossroads for more than a thousand years, and every era has left its mark in brick, tile and the voices of its people. I spent a good week here recently and came away convinced it is one of the most rewarding cities in the country for anyone who loves real, unpolished travel.
Getting to Multan
Multan has its own international airport, so a direct flight is the easiest way in if you are coming from abroad or from the major hubs of Lahore and Karachi. Domestic flights land several times daily, and the airport is a short ride from the centre of town.
If you prefer the road, buses and trains connect the city to the rest of Pakistan, though the journey from Lahore takes the best part of a day. The city itself is compact enough that I found myself walking between the main sights, with rickshaws covering the longer parts of day.
The Shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam
The spiritual heart of Multan is the Shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam, and it is the sight I would not want anyone to miss. This magnificent tomb, built in the fourteenth century, rises from the old city in tiers of painted brick, its dome a landmark you can spot from far across the rooftops.
I arrived during the evening prayers and found the courtyard full of music and motion, the air thick with turmeric yellow light and the sound of devotees. It was one of the most atmospheric hours of my whole time in Pakistan. Dress modestly, remove your shoes, and simply sit and soak in the rhythm of the place.
The other great shrines
Multan wears its title with more than a single monument. The Shrine of Shah Shamsuddin Sabzwari, distinctive for its crenellated dome like a crown, is another highlight, and the older Shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya sits nearby in its own peaceful compound.
I found these quieter shrines a gentler introduction to the city than the busy bustle of Rukn-e-Alam. Around each one, markets grow, food stalls set up, and families meet in the evenings, giving you a real sense of how the city lives around its faith.
Multan Fort and the Old City
The cotton bale fort that once guarded Multan has largely crumbled, but the mound where it stood still rewards a climb. From the top of the fort platform you look out over the dense old city below, a tangle of rooftops, minarets and market lanes that have been there for centuries.
The Old City bazaars are where I spent my happiest hours. Follow the narrow lanes and you find tile makers, instrument workshops and metalworkers carrying on trades their families have practised for generations. Multan is famous for its blue pottery and hand woven textiles, and watching the artisans at work beats any shop floor experience.
Eating in Multan
Multani food deserves its reputation. The city is famous across Pakistan for its sweet saffron milk dessert known as sohan halwa, and I have yet to find the equal of the warm, ghee rich version served from the old stalls here.
Beyond the sweets, the daal chawal and the slow cooked meat dishes of the region are superb, and the evening street food scene around the shrines is lively and cheap. Ask a local what they would order and you will eat very well indeed.
Practical tips
The summer heat in Multan is serious, among the worst in Pakistan, so aim for the cooler months between November and March. Dress modestly everywhere, carry small bills for rickshaws and market purchases, and be ready for a city that greets visitors with open curiosity.
Multan is not a polished tourist city, and that is precisely its charm. It rewards patience, a friendly face, and a willingness to wander without a strict plan. Give it three or four days and you will leave with a very real sense of what this city of saints is all about.
Pottery and the craft bazaars
Multan’s name is inseparable from its blue pottery, and the workshops are a joy to visit. The process, shaping the clay, painting the cobalt designs and firing it in the old kilns, has changed little in centuries, and I could watch the artisans at work for hours.
Beyond the pottery, the bazaars hold hand embroidery, block printed textiles and brassware. I bought a handful of small pieces as gifts and have been asked about them constantly since, because the craftsmanship is a genuine local art rather than mass produced souvenir stock.
A final word on getting around
Rickshaws will carry you between the main sights cheaply, and I always carried small notes because most drivers could not break large bills. For the most part I walked, and the city’s gentle scale made that the simplest and most rewarding way to take in its shrines and markets.
