The Shrine of Shah Rukn-e-Alam (literally "pillar of the world") is the architectural high point of Multan and the building that dominates the city's skyline. Completed in 1320, it is the tomb of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath, grandson of Bahauddin Zakariya and the second great master of the Suhrawardiyya Sufi order in the subcontinent. The mausoleum is an enormous octagon of baked brick, 51 feet across at the base and 100 feet to the top of its hemispherical dome — making it one of the masterpieces of pre-Mughal Tughluq architecture and a major prototype for the tomb buildings that followed it in Delhi and beyond.
The exterior is faced with deep blue, turquoise and white Multani tilework, set in geometric and floral patterns against the warm red brick. Eight sloping corner towers buttress the walls, giving the building its characteristic chunky silhouette. The shrine sits on the raised mound of the old Multan Fort and is active throughout the year, with the saint's annual urs festival drawing large crowds in late autumn. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome inside; remove shoes and dress modestly.