Located near the shrine of Shah Hussain Aplani Pir Patho Debali (a contemporary of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar) in District Thatta, the Muhammad Bin Qasim Tower rises about 80’ above sea level, and is similar to the Mir Masoom Shah Minaro – a 17th century structure in Sukkur. While the legend is that the tower marks the spot where Muhammad Bin Qasim ported in Sindh, scholars are of the opinion that it could either have been a military lookout or an anchorage marker in Thatta’s maritime heydays.

The tower was in a critical state of deterioration; a major section had collapsed due to neglect and weathering over the years, and the remaining section was at severe risk of collapse owing to its instability. EFT restored the tower to its original form with the help of archival photographs provided by Badar Abro, using traditional techniques and sympathetic materials. The restored tower was opened to the public in a ceremony held on 25 September 2016, inaugurated by Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Minister of Culture, Sindh. It was of of the first restorations of a Protected Monument of a series of 11 projects entrusted to EFT by the Culture Department, Government of Sindh, as part of an MOU singed in September 2015.

EFT also carried out repairs on two historic mosques located near the tower, which were thought to be over 300 years old. This included, after a detailed condition assessment, the re-rendering of missing or damaged architectural features, and the restoration of traditional flooring.