Multan is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province. It has a population of over 3.8 million (according to 1998 census), making it the sixth largest city of Pakistan. It is built just east of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic center of the country and about 966 km from Karachi.
Multan is known as the 'City of Sufi Saints (Pir) and Shrines'. The city is filled with bazaars, mosques, shrines and superbly designed tombs. A network of rails, highways and air flights has Multan well connected to the rest of the world. 
The city of Multan is located in southern Punjab province at almost the exact center of Pakistan. The very next major adjoining city is Sahiwal. The area around the city is a flat plain and is ideal for agriculture. There are many canals that cut across the Multan District that provide water from nearby rivers. It is extremely hot in the summer. Multan is has several citrus and mango farms. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
The majority of Multan's residents speak a language called Siraiki. The overwhelming majority of the people Multan has traditionally been a melting pot of several regional as well as distinct ethnic groups due to it location near four of Pakistan's main provinces and it historical significance as a centre of learning, culture. As a result, Multan of today consists of Baloch, Pashtun, Panjabi, Seraiki (a transition group between Panjabi and Sindhi), Afghan, Persian and mohajir's who recently arrived at the time of independence in 1947.
Multan is also rich in literature, there are many poets and other prominent personalities who are known country wide. The city is notable for being the birthplace of the founder of Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Abdali who was born in the village of Kiri Shah Husain Khan where members of his tribe still live. In Urdu poetry Asad Multani, Dr. Qateel Jaffri, Haider Gardezi, Aasi Karnali, Aslam Ansari, Arsh Siddiqi, Sahir Bukhari (Known as Sharif Bukhari), Iqbal Arshad, Arshad Multani, Hazeen Sidiqi, Anwar Jamal, Razi-ud-Din Razi, Ghazala Khakwani, Kashif Baloch, Shaakir Hussain Shaakir and Riffat Abbass are popular poets of the city. Whereas Hafeez Khan is leading short story writer, playwright,critic,research schollar and columnist.While Mazhar Kaleem the undisputed master of spy novels in Urdu literature also hails from Multan. Multan is also famous for its sufis. It is still the home town of Sheikh Amin, a present day famous Sufi.
Multan is a commercial and industrial center, it is connected with the rest of the country through rail and air including the other industrials hubs such as Lahore, Karachi, Quetta & Faisalabad. Industries include fertilizer, cosmetics, glass manufacturing, cotton production and processing, large textile units, flour mills, sugar and oil mills and large-scale power generation projects. It is famous for its handicrafts (carpets & ceramics) and cottage industries. There are hospitals, public gardens, and several colleges affiliated with the University of the Punjab. The University of Multan was established in 1975. Large, irregular suburbs have grown outside the old walled town, and two satellite towns have been set up. Mangoes of Shujabad district are well known. Multani khussa (traditional shoes), embroidery on dresses for women and men, furniture and other wooden products, earthenware pottery, painted pottery, camel-skin ware (e.g. lamps), surgical instruments & carpets are few of the city's major export items with a great demand within the country as well. 
Multan is an important agricultural, industrial and tourist centre. Wheat, cotton and sugarcane are the main crops grown in the district. Moreover, rice, maize, tobacco, bajra, moong(lentils), mash(lentils), masoor(lentils) , oil seed such as rape / mustard and sunflower are also grown in minor quantities in the district. Mangoes, citrus, guavas and pomegranate are the main fruits grown in the Multan district. Additionally, dates, jaman, pears, phalsa and bananas are also grown in minor quantities in the district.
Multan, being an historic city, attracts a number of tourists every year. When the first settlements established themselves in Multan, access to the city was through a circular road around the rampart that gave access to the city through thirteen gates and even now some of the imposing structures of these gates are still visible and well preserved. The Old City has narrow, colorful bazaars full of local handicrafts and narrow winding lanes. There are many places of historical, cultural and recreational interest in the city. In the bazaars of the Old City one still comes across tiny shops where craftsmen can be seen busily turning out masterpieces in copper, brass, silver as well as textiles in the traditional fashion.
The numerous Sufi shrines within the old city offer impressive examples of workmanship and architecture. The Shams-e Tabriz shrine is built almost entirely of sky-blue engraved glazed bricks. That of Shah Rukn-e Alam (Tughlaq period) has one of the biggest domes in Asia. The shrine of Sheikh Yusuf Gardez is a masterpiece of the Multani style. Other shrines include the Pahladpuri Temple and the Idgah Mosque (1735).
Multan as a tradition which goes back to the Bronze Age. Rich in archaeology and the history, the city has a lot to offer for those in search of culture. But, more then anything, it’s the monuments that give the region a glory of its own.
Multan is called a city of living craft. It is due to the hard work of its craftsmen and craftswomen. Multan Craft Bazar is a place where you meet the several craftsmen and women and see how they work hard and what they make.
