Brahmanabad (Mansura): The Arab Capital of Sindh

Brahmanabad, also called Mansura, is a ruined city in Sanghar District, Sindh, about 18 kilometres south-east of Shahdadpur and roughly 70 kilometres north-east of Hyderabad. It was the capital of the Arab province of Sindh for much of the period from about 750 to 1006 AD, and is often described as the first major city founded by Muslims in South Asia. Today it is a large field of brick rubble and low mounds, with no reconstructed buildings, and a new excavation with an Italian archaeological mission is due to begin in early 2027.

This guide covers who built the city, what it was like, what you can actually see, how to reach it from Hyderabad, and what to expect if you go. It is a site for people who like archaeology and history, and it needs the right expectations.

What is Brahmanabad (Mansura)?

The ruins are known by several names. Archaeologists and the Sindh antiquities department call the site Brahmanabad or Brahmanabad-Mansura. Locally it is known as Dalu Raja-ji-Nagri, the "city of Raja Dalu". Mansura is the name of the Arab city, meaning roughly "the victorious", and the Arab geographers describe it as lying on the banks of the Indus, among fertile farmland.

The relationship between Brahmanabad and Mansura has been argued over for over a century. Modern accounts usually treat the two together as one site, and so do we.

History: how Mansura became the capital of Sindh

After the Arab conquest of Sindh led by Muhammad bin Qasim in 711, the Umayyad governors set up a garrison at the site. The Arab geographers place the foundation of a "new" city called Mansura between about 746 and 750 AD. It grew under the Abbasids, partly through the work of Khalid ibn Barmak, who is credited with expanding it into a major city, and historians describe it as richer than Multan to the north and Debal to the south.

It was the seat of the governors of the Abbasid province of Sindh until the early 11th century. It is also associated with scholarship: it is said to be the place where the first translation of the Quran into the Sindhi language was made, and it produced scholars known in the Arab world.

An earthquake damaged the city in 893 AD. It was sacked later by Mahmud of Ghazni, and it never recovered.

What can you see at the site today?

The ruins cover a large area, around 6.4 kilometres in circumference, and most of it is mounds covered in brick fragments, broken pottery and low ridges that mark old streets. There are no standing walls or towers that make a photograph on their own.

The most distinctive feature is the raised eastern part of the site, where excavators found a courtyard of about 150 by 250 feet, believed to belong to a large congregational mosque. The Pakistani archaeology department dug the site for fourteen seasons of excavation, with systematic work recorded from 1966 to 1998. They found coins, jewellery, pottery and carved objects, and in the 1960s excavation, bronze door fittings now kept in major Pakistani museums.

A more recent small dig in December 2020 and January 2021 opened nine trenches. It found pottery from many periods, including painted pottery with figures of humans, elephants and birds, shells used for making bangles, copper coins with Kufic script, and many moulds for making coins. It also found burnt-brick walls about one metre thick and street layouts, which point to a planned town and a trade in stones and ornaments. Finds range over many centuries, from the 2nd to the 13th century AD.

Much of what was dug earlier has been backfilled or weathered, so the visit is mostly about understanding where you are.

The 2027 excavation

In late September 2026 the Sindh Archaeology and Antiquities Department and an Italian mission announced a joint excavation for early 2027. Officials also said they were working towards World Heritage status for the site. These are plans, not guarantees, and the timetable could change.

The archaeologists involved warned that road building, farming, encroachment and livestock are damaging the remains. That is a useful reminder for visitors: stay on existing tracks, do not pick up fragments, and do not climb on excavated walls.

How to get to Brahmanabad from Hyderabad

The site is a half-day trip from Hyderabad, which is the sensible base. Roughly:

1. Take the road north-east from Hyderabad towards Tando Adam and Shahdadpur. Sources put the site 69 to 75 kilometres from Hyderabad, so expect roughly an hour and a half on local roads, depending on traffic and road works (our estimate, not a published figure).
2. Go through Shahdadpur, then continue about 18 kilometres south-east. Sources also quote 13 kilometres from Shahdadpur railway station.
3. Ask locally for "Mansura" or "Dalu Raja-ji-Nagri" for the last stretch. Smartphone maps may place the pin loosely, so check your position against the mounds.

Our guide to day trips from Hyderabad shows how it can fit with other stops in the region.

When to go and what to bring

The site is open ground in the Sindh plain, with little shade. Summer heat is severe, so go between roughly November and February, and leave early in the morning. Our guide to the best time to visit Sindh goes through the seasons in more detail.

The Sindh antiquities department lists the site with opening hours of 7 am to 9 pm on weekdays and 8 am to 8 pm at weekends, and a contact number. We could not verify that there is a staffed gate or an entry fee, so do not rely on either. Take your own water and snacks, a hat, sturdy shoes, and your CNIC.

Is it worth the trip?

It depends on what you want. If you like archaeology and want to stand where the Arab governors of Sindh had their capital, yes. If you want a photogenic ruin like a fort, probably not: Umerkot Fort or the other forts of Sindh will do more for most visitors. Mansura is better after reading about it, with a notebook and a map of the city.

For wider planning, see our overview of places to visit in Sindh and our page on UNESCO sites in Sindh, where this site is not yet listed.

Frequently asked questions