Photo 1009/3(1443)

Genre: Architectural Photography

General view. 'The oldest building now standing is the dilapidated tomb of Ghulam Shah Kalhora (1757-1772), whose dome has but lately fallen in. It is in a sad state of disrepair, due, apparently, to bad construction. It is a great square massive building standing upon a large platform with but one entrance upon the east. The whole of the exterior of the walls was covered with glazed coloured tiles in a great variety of geometric and floral patterns; but these are now terribly damaged. They were carried upon a six inch veneer of brick and plaster which was added to the face of the walls as the latter rose from their foundations. The walls being very thick, with thick layers of mortar between the bricks, and being loaded by the great dome which rested upon them, soon began to settle, while the veneer which dried and set more rapidly did not do so to the same extent, and so buckled outwards and separated itself from the walls. This naturally sprung the tiles which were stuck to it and caused them to fall out in great numbers...The great settlement which took place in the walls - for they have even sunk into the platform upon which the tomb stands, as is shewn by the dip inwards of the paving stones around the basement - probably cracked and rendered the dome unsafe, and hence its final collapse' ('Progress Report of the Archaeological Survey of Western India. For the months September 1895 to April 1896', p. 3).