Sukkur

Sukkur lies on the west bank of Indus River and is the third largest city of Sindh.

Understand

When Arabs invaded Sukkur (Sindh) in the 8th century (712 A.D.), they found an extreme climate of hot and cold, and called it Saqar, which means intense. Sukkur is nicknamed Darya Dino meaning the gift of river, as without the Indus the city would be a desert. Sukkur has many attractions to keep the tourist busy. Alor (or Aror, Sukkur) held the status of capital under the reign of Musikanos, when Alexander invaded the region in 326 BCE. The Rai Dynasty built a huge temple of Shiva. Lloyd Barrage on River Indus consist of 66 gates and many more as Lansdowne Bridge Rohr, Tomb of Mian Adam Shah Kalhoro, Sadh Belo Temple on River Indus, Lab-e-Mehran, Ayub Gate, Masum Shah jo minar (Masum Shah), Sateen jo Aastan (Seven Sisters) and Shahi Bazar.

History

Sukkur has been an important strategic center and trading route from time immemorial. Alor (or Aror, Sukkur) held the status of capital under the reign of Musikanos, when Alexander invaded the region in 326 BCE. The ruins of this ancient town still exist, 8 km east of Rohri, in Sukkur district. The Rai Dynasty built a huge temple of Shiva. In 711 CE, the Arabs invaded Sindh, led by 17 year old Muhammad bin Qasim, and Sukkur (including all of Sindh and lower Punjab) became part of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Later Mughals and many semi-autonomous tribes ruled over Sukkur. The city was ceded to Mirs of Khairpur between 1809 and 1824. In 1833, Shah Shuja (a warlord of Kandahar, Afghanistan) defeated the Talpurs near Sukkur and later made a solemn treaty with the Talpur ruler, by which he relinquished all claims on Sindh. In 1843, the British (General Charles James Napier) defeated the Talpurs at the battles of Miani and Dubbo near Hyderabad. Sukkur, along with the rest of Sindh, was under British rule until the independence of Pakistan in 1947. The (current) district of Sukkur was constituted in 1901 out of part of Shikarpur District, the remainder of which was formed into the Larkana District. Sukkur saw a significant socio-economic uplift after the 1930s, when the British built the world's largest barrage here on the Indus River. The predominantly Muslim population supported the Muslim League and Pakistan Movement. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the minority Hindus and Sikhs fled to India while the Muslim refugees from India settled in the Sukkur.

Get in

By plane

Sukkur Airport is a domestic airport situated about 8 km away from the city centre of Sukkur. Sukkur Airport ranks as the second main operational airport in Sindh, after Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. PIA operates direct flights from Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.

• 1 Sukkur Airport. (updated Jun 2022)

By train

Sukkur is served by Sukkur railway station as well nearby Rohri railway station and has railway connections with almost all the major Pakistani cities and towns. Majority of the trains both air-conditioned and non air-conditioned travel into Sindh make brief stop at nearby railway station of Rohri which makes Rohri a very important and busiest railway junction of the country.

If you're travelling from northern Punjab city of Lahore or Karachi with both speed and comfort as a priority, both the Pakistan Business Express and the Karakoram Express are good choices. They run daily non-stop between Lahore and Karachi and are faster than other trains, taking less than 20 hours travel time, because they make only few stops, whereas other trains make stops at every major station along the route and are usually delayed as well. Pakistan Business Express is a privately run business-class train and has LCD TV in its cabins and provides free high tea, dinner, breakfast and beverages throughout the journey. Tickets can be reserved online and can be collected via a home delivery option where you can pay for the ticket via cash on delivery. The Karakoram Express has both economy and air-con class accommodation.

Other than that, plenty of trains (both economy and air-conditioned class) run from other major big cities such as Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Faisalabad Multan, Qetta, and Rawalpindi on a daily basis as well but they're slow as they make stops at every major railway station along the way. Tezgam or Shalimar Express are best preferred for travellers from Punjab; Khyber Mail for travellers from the north-western city of Peshawar while both the Akbar Express (also known as Quetta Express) and Jaffar Express is recommended for journeys between Sukkur and western city of Quetta.

• 2 Rohri Junction railway station, ☏ +92 071 9310046. (updated Jun 2022)
• 3 Sukkur railway station. (updated Jun 2022)

By road

Sukkur is situated on National Highway N-5, which originates from Torkham (Pakistan-Afghanistan border) and runs via Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, and Hyderabad on its way to Karachi. Sukkur is also connected via National Highway # N-65 (Indus Highway) originates from Quetta and runs via Sibi enter Sindh and travel up to Sukkur.

Buses from most major cities easily available for Sukkur. If coming from Karachi, you may want to travel with Pakistan's most popular and comfortable Daewoo air-conditioned bus, the one-way fare is Rs 1,500 and the buses runs throughout the day at one-hour intervals and the ride takes seven hours. The main bus stand is near Abad.

Get around

Rickshaws and Vans travel within city. Hire taxi from Sukkur Airport or anywhere in the city.

See

Part of the temple complex on Sadh Belo Island.

• 1 Sadh Belo Island. An island in the Indus River famous for its highly revered Hindu temples. The temples are associated with the syncretic Udasi movement and includes Teerath Asthan, which is the largest Hindu temple in Pakistan. The complex has eight other temples, a library, a garden, along with rooms and residences for monks and people who want to stay on the island on a spiritual retreat. (updated Dec 2022)
• 2 Manzilgah Mosque (مسجد منزل گاہ). Historic mosque, built in 1598. (updated Dec 2022)
• 3 Masum Shah Minaret. Honoring the sixteenth-century Sindhi Muslim historian and physician Masum Shah. (updated Jun 2022)
• 4 Bakhar Fort. Ruins of an historic fort. (updated Dec 2022)
• Rohri Arore ( ruins of historical city ). 
• Shrine of Syed Sadar-Ur-Din-Shah. 
• Tomb of the Seven Maidens Sateen Jo Aastan. 
• Sadh Belo Temple on River Indus. 
• Lansdowne Bridge Rohri. 
• Sukkur (Lloyd) Barrage. 
• Sukkur Museum. 
• Lab-e-Mehran. 
• G. A. Shah Tomb - Old Sukkur. 
• Sukkur Stadium. 

Do

• Shopping at Shahi Bazaar, Frere Road. 
• Boat ride at river Indus side. 
• Fishing near Indus River. 
• Play cricket at Sukkur Stadium. 
• Play tennis at Sukkur Ghym khana. 

Buy

• Original Sindhi Handicrafts. 
• Sindhi Topi & Ajrak. 
• Ralli Quilt. 
• Hand made khadi cloth. 
• Ghuori Departmental Store. 
• Gold at Sarafa Bazar. 
• Books at Qitab Ghar. 

Eat

• Dinner / Lunch at Taj Hotel, Rohri Toll plaza. 
• Pizza Town on Military Road. 
• KFC Fast food on Military Road. 
• Sindhri Restaurant
• Chicken Karahi of Student Chicken near Clock tower. 
• Fruit Chat at Neem ki Chari. 
• Dolphin Bakery cakes. 
• Mehran Sweets. 
• Channa Cholay with Naan. 
• Makhan Nihari at Thala. 
• Kachori and Samose. 

Drink

• Dhood pati Chai Sindhri Hotel
• Drink Famous Thadal. 
• Piyala Hotel Tea near Rohri. 
• Dhood Wali Bottel Ganta Ghar. 

Sleep

Keep in mind that most accommodation here is fairly basic.

• Mehran Hotel, Station Road, ☏ +92-71-5613792. Otherwise basic rooms have private bathrooms and central air-conditioning. $30 for a double. 
• Forum Inn Hotel. 
• Comfort Inn. 26$. (updated Nov 2015)

Connect

• Sukkur Gym Khana. 
• Squash Courts at Public School Sukkur. 
• Religious gatherings in Largest Madrasa. 
• Calling. The area code for Sukkur is 71. (International code +92 if calling from outside Pakistan). 

Go next

• Karachi
• Khairpur
• Nawabshah
• Mothparja