The tomb of Shah Yousaf Gardez, just inside Bohar Gate in Multan's old walled city, is one of the oldest and most distinctive shrines in a city known for them. It holds the grave of a Sufi saint who arrived in Multan from Afghanistan in 1088 and stayed for fifty years, and the building itself, finished in 1150, breaks from the domed pattern of Multan's other major tombs: it is a rectangular, domeless structure, covered inside and out with blue-glazed tile and detailed mirror work. Entry is free, and it is an active shrine rather than a museum.
This guide covers who Shah Yousaf Gardez was, why his tomb looks different from the rest of Multan's shrines, and how to find it inside the walled city.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Saint's name | Muhammad Shah Yousuf Gardezi, known as Shah Gardez |
| Arrived in Multan | 1088 AD, from Gardez, in present-day Afghanistan |
| Died | 1136 AD, after fifty years in Multan |
| Tomb built | 1150 AD, fourteen years after his death |
| Design | Rectangular, domeless, covered in blue-glazed tile |
| Interior feature | Extensive mirror-work, known as aina-kari |
| Location | Just inside Bohar Gate, old walled city |
| Entry | Free; shoes off, heads covered |
Who was Shah Yousaf Gardez?
Shah Yousuf Gardez, also written Gardezi, travelled to Multan in 1088 from Gardez, a town in what is now Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan. According to the accounts that survive, he is credited with restoring the city, converting people to Islam and performing miracles during the fifty years he spent there before his death in 1136. His descendants, known as the Gardezis, went on to become one of Pakistan's older established noble families, a lineage still traced back to him.
His arrival in the late 11th century makes him one of the earlier Sufi figures associated with Multan's identity as the city of saints, predating both Bahauddin Zakariya, whose shrine stands on the fort mound and dates from the following century, and Shah Rukn-e-Alam's tomb, built more than two hundred years later.
A shrine unlike the rest of Multan's tombs
Most of Multan's best-known shrines, Shah Rukn-e-Alam's tomb and the shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya among them, are built as domed structures, octagonal or square in plan, rising to a rounded roof above the grave. Shah Yousaf Gardez's tomb, built in 1150, fourteen years after his death, breaks from that pattern: it is a rectangular, domeless building, its exterior decorated with the blue-glazed tile that runs through Multan's tile tradition more broadly. Inside, the shrine is further decorated with aina-kari, an extensive mirror-work technique that sets it apart from the plainer interiors of some of Multan's other tombs.
The combination of the domeless rectangular form with dense blue tile and mirror decoration makes it one of the more visually distinctive shrines in the city, even though it is smaller and less imposing from a distance than Shah Rukn-e-Alam's tower-like tomb on the fort mound.
Getting there through Bohar Gate
The tomb sits just inside Bohar Gate, one of the entrances to Multan's old walled city, a short distance from the fort mound where Shah Rukn-e-Alam and Bahauddin Zakariya's shrines stand. It is not a long walk from the mound down into the walled city, and most visitors combine the two in the same outing, going from the fort mound to Bohar Gate and on to Shah Yousaf Gardez's tomb before continuing further into the old city's lanes.
The streets around Bohar Gate are narrow, busy with local traffic and shopfronts, and not always clearly signposted, so it is worth asking locally or arranging a rickshaw driver who knows the route if you are not confident finding it on your own.
Etiquette
As at any working Sufi shrine in Multan:
- Remove your shoes before entering the tomb chamber.
- Dress modestly, and women should cover their heads with a scarf.
- Keep your voice down inside, and be mindful of people who are there to pray rather than sightsee.
- Ask before photographing anyone at worship, although photographing the building and its tile work is generally accepted.
Combining it with the rest of Multan's shrines
Because Shah Yousaf Gardez's tomb sits inside the walled city rather than on the fort mound itself, it fits naturally into a visit that starts at the fort mound and continues down into the old city's gates, alongside the nearby shrine of Musa Pak Shaheed at Pak Gate. Our complete route through the shrines of Multan sets out the full order, from the fort mound through the walled city to Shah Shams Tabrez, with timing for each stop. If your visit to the fort mound already covers Shah Rukn-e-Alam's tomb and the Bahauddin Zakariya shrine, allow a further half hour to reach Bohar Gate and see this tomb on the same day rather than treating it as a separate trip.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Shah Yousaf Gardez?
An 11th and 12th-century Sufi saint who travelled to Multan from Gardez, in present-day Afghanistan, in 1088, and stayed until his death in 1136. His shrine, built in 1150, is one of the oldest in Multan.
Why does the tomb have no dome?
Unlike most of Multan's major shrines, which are domed, octagonal or square structures, Shah Yousaf Gardez's tomb was built as a rectangular, domeless building, decorated instead with dense blue tile work and interior mirror-work.
Where exactly is the tomb located?
Just inside Bohar Gate, one of the entrances to Multan's old walled city, a short distance from the fort mound.
Is there an entry fee?
No. Like Multan's other shrines, it is free to enter as a working place of worship.
Can I visit this tomb along with the shrines on the fort mound?
Yes, and most visitors do. It is a short walk from the fort mound down into the walled city through Bohar Gate, and it fits naturally into the same day as Shah Rukn-e-Alam's tomb and the Bahauddin Zakariya shrine.
