By mid-morning the sun is strong over Multan, so the day starts early, with pigeons circling the white dome of Shah Rukn-e-Alam's tomb on the old fort mound. Through the hottest hours, life retreats behind thick brick walls, then pours back out after sunset, when Hussain Agahi Bazaar fills with shoppers.
Away from the shrines, the city's crafts take over, with blue pottery painted by kashigars, lamps made of glowing camel skin and boxes of sohan halwa to carry home. Winters are mild and sunny, while May and June bring some of Pakistan's hottest days and dust storms. A Local Friend reads the menu, the map and the mood for you, down to which lane stays cool at noon.
