LAHORE - The tomb of Ghazi Khan, a Balochi chieftain and founder of Dera Ghazi Khan City, will be conserved by the Punjab Archeology Department, officials told The Nation on Monday. According to the officials, the feasibility report had been prepared and also sent to the government for approval. They said the work on the tomb would be started within a month. The tomb was located in the old City of Dera Ghazi Khan which was at the distance of 10 miles (16 km) towards east of the present city. A splendid modal of ancient architecture, octagonal Ghazi Khan tomb had been built with baked tiles. Mosaic work in traditional blue colours also had been done on its walls both on exterior and interior sides. Inside Quranic verses had been engraved on arches in calligraphic work, which shows skills and creativeness of the artists of the period. Dome of the tomb had once collapsed in past. The British Government laid the present simple flat wooden/iron truss roofing during its reign. The officials said that the monument was damaged with the passage of time and the department had finalised a comprehensive conservation plan worth Rs 5.5 million. They said they had forwarded the feasibility report to the Planning and Development Department for approval. They said that the tomb was octagonal in shape with eight bastions all around missing original dome which was collapsed and replaced with wooden/iron roof truss treated flatly. They said exterior of the tomb was decorated with beautiful enameled glazed tiles in blue and Persian blue colours with geometrical and floral patterns which now had lost its beauty. We have a plan to replace wooden roof and also missing tiles on the exterior of the tomb to bring back its beauty, the official maintained. They further said the main chamber of the tomb was about two meters below the adjoining ground level due to the graveyard around the tomb. Experts suggested the plinth protection around the structure of the tomb in order to stop the seepage and avoid the threat of collapsing. The department has chalked out a plan to construct 10 foot wide floor around the structure, the officials revealed. Talking about the history, the officials said, tomb of Ghazi Khan was built in 1494. The city was founded at the end of the 15th Century and named after Nawab Ghazi Khan Mirrani, son of Nawab Haji Khan Mirrani, a Balochi chieftain, who had declared independence from the Langhah Dynasty Sultans of Multan. Together with two other Deras settlements, Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Fateh Khan, it gave its name to Derajat. Derajat eventually came into the possession of the British after the Sikh War in 1849 and was divided into two districts: Dera Ghazi Khan and Dera Ismail Khan. In 1908, the old city was destroyed due to flash floods from heavy rains overflowing the River Indus. The present city was established in 1910. The city was divided into different blocks. The British established colonial system in the sub-continent and declared Dera Ghazi Khan as district in the year 1849. General Courtland was appointed as first Deputy Commissioner of this District. Keeping in view the rapidly increasing population of the area and deteriorating law and order situation district Dera Ghazi Khan was divided in two districts Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.