UNESCO World Heritage Site:

The Ruins of Moenjodaro in Pakistan

The ruins of the huge city of Moenjodaro, which is built entirely of unbaked brick, lie in the Indus valley, 580 km from Karachi in Pakistan. Moenjodaro means “Mound of the Dead”. The ruins provide evidence of an early system of town planning, with the acropolis set on high embankments, the ramparts, and the lower town, all laid out according to strict rules. This important archaeological site was placed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1980.

The ancient civilizations of the world rose on the banks of rivers and the Moenjodaro civilization was established on banks of
the Indus River. Although the civilization did not leave any decipherable records, the structure tells a highly articulate story. The excavations of Moenjodaro bear a living testimony to a highly developed pre-Aryan civilization.

Archaeological research tells of a people who were well versed in the art of dancing, sculpture, arts and crafts. Their agriculture took advantage of the vast tracts of a fertile alluvial soil found on both sides of the Indus River. Moenjodaro flourished from the third to the middle of the second millennium B.C., when it vanished, leaving only traces of its culture. Moenjodaro, along with Harappa in the Punjab Province some 1280 kms away, formed part of the Indus valley civilization and it is now believed that these cities were destroyed by Aryan invaders.

The urban planning at Moenjodaro was pragmatic. The walls of the city’s mud-brick houses were designed so that structures collapsed outwards during earthquakes, thereby ensuring the safety of the occupants. The city had an elaborate covered drainage system, soak pits for disposal bins, a state granary, a large and imposing building that could have been a palace and a citadel mound with solid burnt-brick towers on its margin. Judging from the remains, the Great Hall was probably the most striking of its structures, comprising an open quadrangle with verandas, with galleries and rooms at the back, a number of halls, and a large bathing pool perhaps used for religious or ceremonial bathing. Close to the archeological site is the Moenjodaro Museum that houses finds from the excavations. These include engraved seals, ornaments, utensils, pottery, weapons, figurines and toys.

The civilization seems to have been well acquainted with the use of the wheel as well as the use of draught animals for farming. The architectural structures also are a testament to a sophisticated people who developed organized urban structures. The cloth and designs on fabric attest to a refined culture. Among the discoveries in Moenjodaro is a seal with a representation of a mastless ship proving that the civilization not only used the Indus River but also traveled the sea. The civilization slowly developed and became very prosperous. At its height it stretched from present day Kashmir to Kutch. After 2500 B.C. a number of smaller Aryan civilizations began to encroach on its territory and finally destroyed it.

PIA operates daily flight from Karachi. Moenjodaro is also linked by road and railway.