Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Makli Necropolis spreads across 10 square kilometres near the city of Thatta in Pakistan's Sindh province. It sits on a plateau approximately 6 kilometres from Thatta and lies roughly 98 km east of Karachi at the apex of the Indus River Delta.
Sufi saint Sheikh Hamad Jamali reportedly named the place Makli or Little Makkah after hearing a legend about a Hajj pilgrim who declared it to be Makkah for him. Historian Ali Ahmad Brohi argues that historical evidence does not confirm this tale and suggests the name originates from an ancient Mahakali temple dedicated to the goddess Kali.
The tradition began when the 14th century Samma ruler Jam Tamachi venerated Sufi saint Shaikh Jamali and wished to be interred nearby. The necropolis rose to prominence during the rule of the Samma dynasty when they made their capital near Thatta and seized control of the city in 1335.
The site houses approximately 500,000 to 1 million tombs built over a 400-year period. Tombs dating from the Samma Dynasty cluster together in a 5-acre section at the northern end of the site.
Funerary architecture here synthesizes Muslim, Hindu, Persian, Mughal, and Gujarati influences into what is known as the Chaukhandi style. Structures from the 16th century feature minarets topped with floral motifs unique to Turkic Trakhan dynasty tombs while structures from the 17th century resemble Jain temples from afar.
The tomb of King Jam Nizamuddin II was completed in 1510 and measures 11.4 metres on each side. It was built of sandstone and decorated with floral and geometric medallions but its dome was never built leaving the interior exposed to the elements.